All in Time
by outsyder10
Summary: Adulting is hard. Welcome to the darker, grittier side of Arcadia Bay. This story takes place eight months after the events of Life is Strange. To say anything more would spoil the first chapter. Update 26th June 2016: Chapter 12 is now live! Thanks for pushing this story to over 2,000 views! Cover image courtesy of Harpuia at LifeIsStrangeFans
1. Chapter 1

**All in Time**

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

 **Chapter 1  
Night Terrors**

Max's eyes opened slowly, a smile creeping across her face. Chloe lay mere inches away, on her side, propped up on an elbow, a smile on her lips as well. "Good morning, sleepyhead." Chloe said, the dim morning light shining through the window catching her hair, creating an ethereal blue halo effect.  
"Good morning." Max replied in a slightly raspy voice. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times before taking Chloe's hand in hers.  
"Is that coffee I smell?" Max asked, as excitedly as possible considering she'd just woken up.  
"You know it!" Chloe replied. "I know how grumpy SuperMax gets when she hasn't had her caffeine fix."  
Max's eyes lit up. "Oh my god, you're the queen!"  
"Yeah, I know… You said the same thing last night." Chloe said with an impish grin.  
"Oh, shut up!" Max said, before whipping the pillow from beneath her head and hitting Chloe in the shoulder with it.  
Chloe sprang up from the bed with a giggle. "C'mon, up and at 'em! Time marches on, or some crap like that."

Max couldn't remember the last time Chloe seemed so happy, so chipper, so…content with life. She smiled at her better half as she forced herself up out of bed.  
"I love you, Chloe." It felt so good to say that out loud. Not that it was exactly a secret. It's just that their relationship started on some pretty shaky ground, what with Chloe almost dying on numerous occasions and all.  
"Do you, now?" Chloe responded, arching a brow.  
"Of course!"  
"Then, why did you let me die?"  
"What…?" Max's stared at her, confused.  
"You heard me. You just hid and cried while I bled out."  
Max's brain felt like it was swirling in her head. She felt nauseous. It was coming back to her, all of it. What had she done?  
"You fucking killed me, Max!"  
Chloe's voice trailed off, becoming more and more distant, until…

Max's eyes flew open. She sat up quickly, panting to catch her breath. A quick swipe of her hand confirmed that a trickle of blood was coming from her nose. The nausea from the dream was also here in reality.  
It had been months since she last used her power, but she was still plagued by the nightmares, the occasional headaches, and, yes, the nosebleeds. Whatever damage she had fixed in the fabric of time and space, had not yet been mended in her mind or body. She turned toward the night stand and picked up her phone. Pulling the charger cord out, the screen lit up, revealing that it was 3:29AM. There was no way she was going back to sleep after that. She'd just have to look forward to being a zombie at work today.

 _God dammit, Max._ She thought to herself. _This town is still standing because of you. You did the right thing, what Chloe wanted you to do._  
She said this same speech, or some variation of it, to herself nearly every single day. It did little to comfort her.  
Deep down, she knew it was true, of course. She'd seen 'The Wrath of Khan', she knew that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few (or the one). Still, dreams like the one she'd just had teased her with a glimpse of what might have been.  
She laid back down and closed her eyes, defiantly. Trying to will herself back to sleep. It didn't work.

Her alarm went off just as the first signs of sunlight were beginning to filter through the blinds. Max rolled over, twisting her body once again toward the night stand, tapping the 'Ignore' button on her phone screen to silence the evil, shrill siren. She stretched with a long yawn before pushing herself up out of bed. So tired; partially from lack of sleep, but mostly from the crying. Crying, she found, was absolutely exhausting. She let out a heavy sigh, resolving for the third day in a row to remember to buy some sleeping pills.

A quick check of her phone, where she found that Warren had tagged her in several Facebook posts, and she crossed the rug in front of her bed and into the bathroom. After using the loo, she stood in front of the mirror, dreading the impending sight. Keeping her eyes on the sink, she turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on her face before gathering the courage to bring her gaze up to her reflection. The dark circles under her eyes were getting worse. No amount of makeup was going to fix this. Simply too many nights with too little sleep. In fact, she hadn't gotten a full night's sleep since Chloe was shot. The fact that Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson were now behind bars gave her little solace.

A chill ran down her spine as she began to reflect on how she got here. Eight months ago, two days after Chloe's funeral, Max dropped out of Blackwell Academy. There was no way she would be able to focus on her coursework after everything that had happened. Besides, her main reason for going to Blackwell was Mr. Jefferson, who turned out to be fucking lunatic. She had thought about moving back to Seattle. That probably would have been so much easier. Her parents would have comforted her as best they could, not to mention given her shelter, food, the necessities. But, something, some unknown force of nature, compelled her to stay in Arcadia Bay. Maybe she just didn't like the idea of running away from Chloe's memory. Maybe it was some sort of messiah complex, seeing as how she had practically saved the town from destruction. But, who was she kidding? Chloe sacrificed herself to save the town. In the end, Max was the one being selfish, and Chloe Price the selfless one. Who would've ever thought? Chloe was the hero, and the one who actually had super powers was, well, powerless. Whatever the cause, she had decided to stay in Arcadia Bay. Joyce had managed to get her a job at the Two Whales. It didn't pay much, but it was enough to afford a one bedroom dwelling in the shit-tastic Ocean View Apartments. The landlord said that you can see the lighthouse from the window of her second story unit, but Max never tested this assertion. She kept the blinds closed at all times, never wanting to set eyes on that damned lighthouse ever again.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Max quickly brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, and started getting dressed. Hopping around on one foot, she searched for her other shoe. It was under the bed, as always. _How do they keep getting under there?_ She wondered, as she reached beneath the bedframe and box spring to retrieve it. Sliding on her wayward left shoe, she grabbed her phone from atop the mattress and pressed the sleep/wake button. "Shit!" She exclaimed, seeing the time. "Joyce is gonna kill me if I'm late again!" She very briefly considered reversing time, if it would help save her job. But, the thought left her mind as soon as it had entered. She was never using that god-awful curse again.

As quickly as she could, she pocketed her phone, snatched up her keys and messenger bag, and headed out the door, locking it behind her.

Exiting her apartment building to begin the fifteen minute trek to the Two Whales, it was quickly apparent that the air was colder than Max had expected. She immediately regretted not throwing on a coat, but decided that she was running too late to go back for it. The wind was blowing in from the west, carrying the crisp smell of sea salt from the coast. _I got that sodium chloride bluuuuues. Meanest blues of 'em all…_ She sang to herself, in her head. She deftly side-stepped her neighbor Mrs. Washington, who was out walking her dog, as per usual this time of morning, and opened up her messenger bag. The former home of her camera hadn't seen its Polaroid partner in some time, now. In its place now dwelled what most would consider "normal purse stuff". After rifling through its contents for a moment, she pulled out three items. Sunglasses, an insomniac's best friend, which she quickly slipped on over her tired eyes. A pack of cigarettes, and a lighter. Popping one of the Camel Blue 99's between her lips, she struck the orange Bic and brought the flame to the end of the cigarette, inhaling deeply before tossing the pack and lighter back into her bag and fastening the buckle. It was, even in her own words, a "gross" habit. She'd never smoked or drank before _the week that never happened,_ followed by _the week from hell._ Not that Chloe's smoking had influenced her at all. Just, after losing her, Max needed something to calm her nerves. Picking up some new vices seemed to do the trick.

Of course, she had tried alternatives. She'd actually gone to church with Kate a few times, after Chloe's funeral. But, she just couldn't bring herself to believe in a deity that would make anyone go through the things that she and Chloe, and even Kate, had. Granted, it was people, not some higher power, which had put Kate through hell. But, if God did exist, and had imbued Max with her "gift", only to then punish her for using it to save Chloe's life, then God was a fucking asshole.

Taking one last drag from her cigarette before flicking the butt into the parking lot, Max arrived at the back entrance to the Two Whales diner. She exhaled one last cloud of smoke before turning the knob and stepping inside. The smell of grease, food, and coffee hanging thick in the air made her want to vomit. The breakfast rush was already starting, and she was met almost immediately by a slightly more than slightly angry Joyce Price.  
"Joyce, I'm so sorry I'm late… again."  
"Oh, Max," Joyce replied. "I know you don't have a car, but you need to start leaving the house earlier. I recommended you for this job. That makes you my responsibility."  
"I know." Max said with a genuine frown as she took off her sunglasses and slipped them back into her bag. "I'm really…"  
"Maxine Caulfield…" Joyce interrupted, noticing the ever growing dark circles beneath the eyes of a gaunt face. "You look like you haven't slept or eaten in days! I want to talk to you after work. But, right now, get your apron on and get out there. I'm not waiting all these tables by myself." She gave Max a reassuring smile and gently grasped her shoulder. For her part, Max returned the smile, even if half-heartedly.

The day went about like all days go working in a restaurant, Max imagined. She was becoming a real pro at hiding her feelings, her issues, in front of her customers and coworkers. Joyce was the only one who could ever see through the façade, and now she was standing in front of her, near the back booth, closest to the jukebox.  
"Have a seat, Max." Joyce said, her voice gentle but unwavering. Max took a seat in the booth, and Joyce did the same.

"What's going on with you, Max? I hate to sound like David here, but is it drugs?"  
"No..." Max responded, turning her gaze out the window.  
"Come on, Max, let me in. Like it or not, I'm the closest thing to a parent you have here in Arcadia Bay, and I'm genuinely concerned."  
"I can't sleep." Max said, still staring listlessly out the window. "Lack of sleep makes me nauseous, so I can't eat full meals. I just have little snacky-snacks throughout the day."  
"Is this… Is this because of Chloe? I know it had to be hard, seeing her for the first time in five years at her wake."  
Max's attention turned back to the conversation and her eyes met Joyce's for the first time in as long as she could remember. She hadn't really been expecting that question, although she probably should have. _Should I tell her?_ She thought. _I mean, I guess I have to tell someone. It can't be healthy to keep this all to myself. Maybe I'll just skip the part where I tell her I can reverse time…_

"Joyce, I never told you this, and I feel kinda dumb for not saying anything before, but… Chloe and I…reconnected…About a week before she got shot."  
"Really?" The look of surprise on Joyce's face was quite genuine. "Why didn't I ever see you around?"  
"Well, you know how Chloe is…was… She never liked to spend much time at home."  
Joyce nodded in agreement. "I suppose that's true enough. Especially when David was at home."  
"Right," Max continued. "Anyway, we spent a lot of time together that week, and… Well, I think… No, I know. We fell in love."  
Joyce's expression turned from stoic to shocked, instantly.

Max could tell that this wasn't going well. The stunned silence seemed to go on forever, even if it was, in reality, only a few moments. Faced with the choice to either keep talking or let the silence take over, she nervously continued. "Or at least I fell in love… I'm pretty sure Chloe felt the same way."  
Joyce's expression then went from shock to empathetic sadness. A frown crossed her lips as a tear made its way down her cheek. She reached across the table and took both of Max's hands into her own. "Oh, Max. I'm so sorry…"


	2. Chapter 2

All in Time

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

 **Chapter 2  
Cradle by the Sea**

The conversation with Joyce had gone better than expected. She'd shared the secret to how she remained so strong while Max was fraying at the edges; Lexapro, Xanax, and lots of therapy. She even gave Max her psychiatrist's business card. She also expressed how glad she was that Chloe was happy in the week before her untimely demise. 'Except that it never happened.' Max thought to herself, with a frown. She was suddenly overcome with yet another wave of regret for not having contacted Chloe when she first got back to Arcadia Bay. Maybe they could've been truly happy together, at least for a while. Maybe she could've prevented the events that led up to Chloe's attempted blackmail of Nathan…

 _Stop it! You can't change the past, Max. Well, actually, you can, but you already know how that story ends._ She admonished herself as she turned the key and twisted the doorknob to enter her apartment. She had forgotten to go to the drugstore again. Or, rather, she remembered, but was simply too tired to deal with it. Letting out a long sigh, she dropped her things onto the floor right next to the door before closing it and locking it back behind her. She immediately went into the bathroom, took off her gross work clothes and got into the shower. When you work in a diner, you shower AFTER work, not before. She could literally feel the greasy film being washed off of her skin and hair as she scrubbed.

Stepping out of the shower, she grabbed what turned out to be her last clean towel from the wire shelf in the corner of the small bathroom. After drying off, she threw on an old pair of shorts and a tee shirt, and put her hair up in a ponytail. She was momentarily surprised at just how long her hair was getting. She hadn't gotten it cut since _the week from hell_. Feeling slightly rejuvenated from her shower, she decided that she should probably take at least one part of Joyce's advice and _try_ to eat something. Exiting the bathroom and stepping through the bedroom, she made her way to the kitchen.

Her apartment was rather small and under-furnished, but it suited her needs. Walking into the front door brought you into the small living area where there sat an old, ratty couch, but no other furnishings to speak of. To the left was the kitchen, which housed nothing more than a stove, sink, and fridge, with a few cabinets for storage of dishes and food. To the right was the bedroom which saw a bed and a night stand which held a small lamp and an ash tray, about half full of cigarette butts. Connected to the bedroom was the tiny bathroom. Nothing in there but a sink, toilet, and small shower stall. She would say that it was Spartan, but she'd like to think that even Spartans lived in relative luxury, compared to this.

Once in the kitchen, it was foraging time. Come to think of it, Max couldn't remember the last time she had been to the grocery store. Opening the door to the refrigerator revealed little more than some five day old leftover Chinese food, which had started to grow mold. _Gross! Bad Max! I have got to clean this thing out!_ She thought to herself before shutting the door quickly, lest the grossness come to life and attack her. Moving to the cabinets, she opened the ones that kept her non-perishables and stood there in front of them, as if staring into the abyss. At last, there it was! Her only hope! A box of Kraft Macaroni  & Cheese. She had just pulled the blue box out of the cupboard and started looking for a pot when she heard a knock at the door. _Who could that be? I already paid my rent for the month._ She thought.

Walking to the front door, she realized that she still had the Mac & Cheese box in her hand, but decided she didn't care enough to walk back to the kitchen to set it down. Standing on her tiptoes to peer out the peephole, she was amazed at the sight. _Wowser!_ She never said that anymore, but she allowed herself to think it. She quickly unlocked and opened the door.  
"Warren?! What are you doing here?"  
"What? You don't respond to my Facebook posts or return my text messages anymore. So, I decided it might be harder for you to reject me in person. Besides, I thought maybe you could use a friend right now. Um, we are still friends, right?" Warren said, a hint of a blush coming to his cheeks.  
"Of course we are! I'm sorry I've been out of touch lately. I just… Well, you were right. I could use a friend." Max looked down to Warren's full hands. "Especially a friend with pizza and… wine?" Indeed, Warren was carrying a box from Max's favorite local pizza joint in one hand and a large bottle of blackberry merlot in the other. She didn't think Warren would be resourceful enough to get ahold of alcohol, but she wasn't going to ask how. After all, she had her own ways of acquiring adult beverages.  
Warren grinned and handed Max the bottle. "Consider it a belated housewarming gift." Which reminded Max, she had been living here long enough to completely trash the place. "Oh, geez, Warren. I'm sorry about the mess, but please, come in.

As he finally walked in, he instinctively looked around, surveying the damage. "C'mon, Max, it's not that bad." Her idea of a mess was a stray shirt hanging on the back of the couch and a few dirty dishes in the sink. Luckily for Max, he couldn't see into the bedroom or bath. Max instructed him to set the pizza down and have a seat on the couch while she went to procure some glasses for the wine. Warren set the pizza box down on the arm of the worn sofa and shrugged off his backpack, which he placed on the floor just beside him and sat down. As Max returned with the glasses, he fished around in his pocket and produced a flash drive. "I brought movies!"

"Oh, shit, Warren… I don't have anything to play them on! I pawned my laptop, and I don't even have a TV or anything." Now it was her turn for flushed cheeks, as she suddenly realized how lame that sounded. She was officially one of the poor people.  
"It's cool. I got you covered!" Warren said excitedly, as he unzipped his backpack and withdrew his own laptop. "I figured, since we never got to 'go ape' at the drive-in, I'd download all the old school Planet of the Apes movies and bring the drive-in to you. Just, you know, with a much smaller screen, and on your couch instead of in my car."  
Max shook her head a little, and actually had to fight back tears. "Warren, that is so freakin' sweet. You're gonna give me cavities over here." She smiled through her misty eyes as she opened the wine and started pouring it into the glasses.

Somewhere between "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" and "Escape from the Planet of the Apes", Max came to the stark realization that she was drunk. She didn't know how many glasses she'd had, but it was more than Warren (freakin' lightweight), and the bottle was now empty. She also came to the realization that Warren's arm was around her shoulders. She'd had to sit close to him to see the screen of the laptop in his lap. She started to curse herself for being too cheap to buy a coffee table, but, then again, it actually felt pretty good. Human contact was something she'd been avoiding for too long, she decided. In that moment, she made another decision… "Warren?" Max said, softly. As he turned his head to face her, she brought a hand up to the side of his neck, gently caressing his cheek with her thumb as she leaned in and kissed his lips hungrily.

Warren was obviously quite surprised, as he nearly dropped his laptop, and it took him a few seconds to gather it up and start kissing her back. Max had to giggle a bit in her head. She wondered if this is what he'd expected to happen at the drive-in. Of course, she likely would've had to make the first move, there, as well. As they finally pulled apart, Max had to chuckle at Warren's stunned expression. He laughed along with her as he closed his laptop and gently set it down on the floor before "jumping back into the fray", as it were.  
The next thing Max knew, their clothes were falling to the floor and she was leading Warren into the bedroom…

Everything had happened so fast, and that wasn't a joke about Warren's stamina (or lack, thereof). He was now lying next to her, sound asleep. Max, however, was wide awake, weeping silently. It wasn't a horrible experience, to be sure, but she simply couldn't get the thought out of her head that her first time should have been with Chloe. It was weird enough, it occurred to her, that she was almost nineteen and had just lost her virginity. That made her a late-bloomer by today's standards. She didn't necessarily feel ashamed, though. Hell, she almost owed it to herself, and, on some level, to Warren. She couldn't help but feel a little badly about locking him down in the friendzone for so long. It also dawned on her that it was probably his first time, as well. The poor guy practically had "virgin" written on his forehead. She wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse… Still, Chloe was her first true love. She should've been her first partner, as well.

Max slid out of bed and walked to the front door of the apartment, where she'd left her bag. She unfastened the flap and withdrew her cigarettes and lighter. Slipping silently back into bed so as not to wake Warren, she lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. The buzz from the wine was wearing off in a big way, and she felt wholly exhausted. She smoked the cigarette down to the filter and stamped out the butt in the ash tray. Sliding down to rest her head on the pillows, she closed her eyes, trying not to think about what had just happened. Exhausted as she was, she fell asleep almost the very instant her eyes closed.

Max suddenly found herself in an all too familiar setting. She was standing on the roof of the girls' dorm at Blackwell Academy. She was vaguely aware that she was in a dream, but had no control over her actions. This became obvious to her as she stepped up onto the ledge. The same ledge that Kate had jumped from during _the week that never happened_. Looking down, she saw the same spectators who were gawking from ground level on that fateful day. They were, all of them, frozen in time, surrounded by this sort of blurry haze. For a moment, she thought that maybe she was playing the role of Kate in this dream. However, glancing down at her own clothing told her that she was, indeed, still Max Caulfield. Which meant that someone other than herself had stopped time. Why she was still able to move was a bit of a mystery, but then, dreams didn't have to make sense.

"Max! Don't do this!" She heard someone call out from behind her. Max turned her head slowly. If this were a true role reversal from what had happened in the past, she would expect to see Kate Marsh coming from the roof access door. However, she recognized the voice the moment she heard it, and it did not belong to Kate.  
"Chloe, just go home. I have to do this. I deserve this." Max heard herself say, though she seemingly could not form her own words.  
"No, you don't. You have to stop punishing yourself, Max. Everything that happened, it wasn't your fault." Chloe spoke softly, seemingly trying to choose her words carefully. She was advancing slowly, drops of blood slowly trickling from her nose, her right arm extended, reaching a hand toward Max.  
"I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't want you to have to see this." Max took one last look into Chloe's eyes through her own tears, before turning back toward the front of the building and the crowd gathered below. She took one confident step and suddenly was falling toward the ground. Somehow, her body had turned back toward the roof where she saw Chloe first hold out her hand just as Max did, desperately trying to reverse time. Once that proved to be ineffectual, Chloe sprinted to the ledge, looking down at Max as she plunged ever downward…

Max's eyes opened in the real world, just as her body hit the ground in the dream. Once again, she found herself panting for air. Her hair was slick with sweat, and, yup, her nose was bleeding again. She was suddenly aware that the sun was out, providing dim light through the tightly closed blinds. Checking her phone, she saw that it was 9:08am. The dream seemed to only last a few minutes, but, in reality, she'd been asleep for about seven hours. 'Good thing I'm off work today.' She thought. Despite the unexpected bumper crop of sleep, though, she couldn't say that she felt the slightest bit rested. Sliding her still naked body out of bed, she made her way into the bathroom. Wetting a washcloth in the sink, she started to clean up her bloody nose. It was only then that she realized that Warren was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**All in Time**

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

 **Chapter 3  
Damaged**

A wave of panic began to wash over her. She couldn't help but think that maybe she had somehow accidentally reversed time in her sleep. Maybe it was actually 9:08am yesterday? She finished cleaning up from her nosebleed as quickly as she could and strode back into the bedroom. Picking up her phone from the night stand, her eyes went to the calendar. The date was what it was supposed to be. Maybe she'd had two distinct dreams last night; one involving Warren, and one involving Chloe? Certainly not out of the realm of possibility, she thought. Just as she opened her SMS app and started to text Warren, she heard her front door unlock from the outside.

"Warren!?" She exclaimed as he came in through the door carrying two paper cups with lids and a white paper bag. She was at once relieved and annoyed, and hoped her voice carried both emotions. She threw on some clothes and covered the distance from the bedroom to the door in what seemed like a millisecond.  
"Oh, hey. You're awake! Sorry, but I borrowed your keys to get us breakfast." He smiled that perfectly cheesy Warren Graham smile. "You know you have, like, no food in your kitchen, right? Not that I could cook it anyway, but I totally could've tried." Max rolled her eyes and sighed. "Warren, I was totally freaking out. You couldn't leave a note, or a text, or…anything?"  
His smile gave way to a more solemn expression. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect to leave. It was just kind of a spur of the moment decision when I couldn't find any food here, except cold pizza. But, yeah, I guess I should've left a note. I'm sorry." His tone carried a hint of sadness, as if he felt truly badly for disappointing Max. "I got coffee and doughnuts, though. So, that's something, right?" He half smiled as he held out one of the cups in Max's direction.  
"Nice recovery, Graham." She quipped as she took the cup offered. Peeling back the tab on the lid, she inhaled the bittersweet aroma of the beverage that seemed to fuel her life of late. Taking a small, tentative sip to test the temperature of the drink, she gave Warren a thumbs-up. It was a little too hot for her liking right now, but tasted quite good. Once again, she kicked herself for not having any tables in her apartment. It occurred to her, however, that that may not be her biggest problem. After what happened last night, Warren was bound to be even more interested in her. Her mind started coming up with ways to let him down gently, almost automatically. Leading him over to the bar that separated the kitchen from the living area, Max withdrew a pair of paper plates from a cabinet, and set them down on the bar, along with her cup. "Okay, breakfast man, let's see what you got. Unleash the feast!"

After the two had enjoyed their sugar-laden breakfast, they remained standing there around the bar, sipping their coffee. Neither one seeming to want to acknowledge the proverbial elephant in the room. After what seemed like several minutes of silence had passed, Max finally spoke up. "Look, Warren…" Before she could even form an entire sentence, Warren interrupted. "Max, I think I know what you're about to say, and I just want you to know that I get it."  
 _What's this?_ Max thought to herself. _I thought I was the only one in town with super powers, but, apparently, Warren Graham can read minds, now?_  
"You get…what, exactly?" She said, narrowing her eyes just a bit.  
Warren blushed slightly as he felt a pang of embarrassment over being so presumptuous. "I mean, I just…" He stopped talking for a moment and took a deep breath to try and compose himself. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm not expecting a relationship just because we had drunken sex one time." He reflexively set his jaw, fighting back tears. Max could sense the sorrow in his voice, and immediately felt more than a little guilty for what was about to come. But, then, guilt was something she felt almost constantly, the last several months. "Warren, I'm sorry. It's not because I don't like you or anything. I don't know if I can really explain why this can't work, but I need you to know that it's not your fault." She reached out and gently touched his forearm with her fingertips.

"Could you _try_ to explain?" Warren asked, swallowing hard at her touch. "I mean, I never said anything, although it was probably pretty obvious, but I've had a crush on you pretty much since we met. Last night was basically a dream come true for me, although I wish we'd been sober. But, despite all of that, I would never try to pressure you into a relationship. I never did before, and I won't now."  
Max was slightly taken aback by his candor. Warren never talked like this. His honesty was refreshing, and confirmed what she had pretty much accepted a long time ago, that he was in love with her. She kind of hated herself for breaking him out of the friendzone for a one night stand, only to put him right back the next morning. Still, it had to be done to protect her sanity.

"Okay…" Max cleared her throat, fighting back tears of her own, now. "Since, I seem to be telling everyone my business lately, I guess I'll try my best to explain my situation."  
Warren, seeing how upset she was, gently grasped her upper arm and encouraged her to continue at her own pace. Max took a deep breath and continued. "Remember my best friend Chloe? The one whose funeral you came to with me?" Warren nodded that he did. "Well, she and I were becoming…more than friends, before she died." Max's eyes lowered to the counter while Warren's lit up with understanding. He grabbed both of her arms then and pulled her into a tight but gentle hug.

"I feel…damaged. Emotionally, psychologically, sometimes even physically." Max admitted, allowing herself to fall into his grasp. "I am just not ready for a relationship right now, with anyone." Warren nodded in understanding, still holding her in a firm embrace.  
"I understand, Max. I can only imagine what you must be going through." Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "But, wait. If you're gay, then I never had a shot with you. But, then, what was last night all about?"  
Max had begun to literally cry on his shoulder, but had to chuckle through the tears. "I don't know. That's also hard to explain. I don't think I'm completely gay. I guess I'm bi?" She cringed just a bit. "That sounded really weird to say out loud. But, yeah, that's what I am." Pulling away from the embrace to look him in the eye, she continued, "But, I want you to understand that I need you in my life. I don't know what's going to happen from this point on, but I do know that I need you." To his credit, Warren was an absolute rock when it came to holding back tears. She never really thought of him as the macho type, but now she wondered if the guy even owned a set of tear ducts. He was visibly willing himself to not cry as he swallowed hard and just nodded, rather than giving a verbal response. After taking a few moments to compose himself, he finally did speak, "I'm not going anywhere, Max. Whatever we end up being, we will always be friends."

After Warren had left to go to class, Max sat alone on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest and cried for what seemed like hours. In reality, it was about twenty minutes. Still, it was long enough for Max to have the realization that she needed to do something, anything, to help her move on. She wondered how other people did it. Obviously, people lost their loved ones every day. Some took longer to get over it than others, she supposed. Maybe she would have another talk with Joyce. Perhaps she could share some of her experience with losing William… But, right now, it was time to have a "conversation" with another Price.

After putting on some better clothes and grabbing her bag, Max headed out into the world. Or, at least, the tiny part of the world known as Arcadia Bay. She stopped by the florist and bought a dozen white roses on her way to the cemetery. Pulling a single rose from the bouquet, she gently laid it atop the grave of Rachel Amber. 'I wish we could've met, when you were still alive, Rachel.' She thought to herself. 'At least you finally got a proper burial.' She hadn't even made it to her actual destination yet, and she was already sniffling and wiping away tears. Just the thought of what happened to Rachel was so unsettling, not to even mention the way she and Chloe had found her during _the week that never happened_. After standing there for several moments, she finally moved on to a much-too-familiar site. Chloe Price was buried next to her father, which Max thought was kind of nice. It wasn't exactly the way she'd tried to reunite them, to be sure, but they were back together on some level. 'Ugh, I am really reaching for these silver linings at this point, aren't I?' She thought.

After laying another of the roses on William's grave, she lovingly placed the rest of the bouquet in front of Chloe's headstone. Max sat down on the grass just beside it, gently leaning back against the side of the granite slab. "So, I've heard that talking to the dead can be therapeutic… Personally, I kinda feel silly talking out loud, essentially, to myself." She frowned and let out a long sigh before continuing, "Chloe, I'm so lost without you… And, I'm sure that would sound 'hella' dumb to you, if you were alive, being that you haven't even seen me in years. But, I've certainly seen you." The tears were flowing freely now, rolling down her cheeks in torrential fashion. "I just miss you so much. I miss your crazy blue hair, your perfect face, your impossibly long legs…" Once again, she managed a small chuckle through the mess of tears. "But, mostly, I'm just sorry. I'm sorry that this world shit on you at every opportunity. I tried to fix it, I really did." She had to pause for a moment as her sobbing was making it too difficult to form coherent words. "You weren't even aware of it, but you sacrificed yourself so that your mom, and everyone else in Arcadia Bay could be safe. That is the noblest thing I've ever witnessed. You are my hero, Chloe Price. I love you…So much."

As Max walked home from the cemetery, she felt no differently than she had before she came. She decided that, if it was closure she needed, she would not be able to get it from talking to ghosts. Reaching into the pocket of her hoodie, she withdrew her phone and the business card Joyce had given her. "Hello? Yes, I'd like to make an appointment…"


	4. Chapter 4

**All in Time**

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

 **Chapter 4  
Breaking the Silence**

Max suddenly found herself standing on a large rock. Looking up, she saw nothing but blackness and flames. Looking around revealed several large cracks in the ground filled with glowing hot lava. On the horizon, she could see nothing but rocks similar to the one she was standing upon, with the occasional flame spurting up from the cracks in between. The temperature, as expected, was unbearably hot. "Where the hell am I?" She said aloud to herself. "You answered your own question, Max. You're in Hell. You know, the place you condemned me to when you sat there on your ass and did nothing while a bullet ripped through my gut." Of course the voice was Chloe's. Max was now very aware that she was in a dream, and made the conscious decision to stick up for herself. "You told me to do it, Chloe! Don't you remember?! It was the only way. We saved hundreds of people! I'm fucking sick of being judged every single night for doing the right thing! And the most fucked up thing about this is, you're a construct of my subconscious, so you know all this is true, and you still torture me for it! You know damn well how much I loved the real Chloe, and how much this fucking kills me!" Chloe seemed legitimately shocked that Max was talking to her like this, like a bully whose victim suddenly stood up to them one day. Abruptly, her expression changed from shock to angry resolve as she drew a gun from behind her back and shot Max in the belly.

The pain was overwhelming. It was like being stabbed, over and over again, with a red-hot butter knife. She clutched a hand to the open wound, but blood continued to rush out of it like a faucet. She fell first to her knees, then onto her side. The entire surface of the rock was becoming covered in the red liquid. Chloe just stood there, laughing, backing away slowly to avoid getting any of Max's blood on her shoes.

Max awoke to find red liquid coming from her nose, rather than her stomach. For once, she was almost thankful for her stupid nosebleeds. They might be annoying, but they would likely not kill her. She hoped. Sliding open her night stand drawer, she withdrew several tissues from a little cardboard box she kept there. Between the crying and the nosebleeds, they had become indispensable. Placing the tissues on her nose and giving it a gentle squeeze, she picked up her phone to check the time. 4:08AM. _Great..._ She thought. _Yet another sleepless night. This is so much fun…_ Clearly, she was becoming fed up with her situation. She wished she could just cut out the part of her brain that wanted to punish her via her dreams. Pulling the chain on her side table lamp, she found that she had bled onto her pillowcase…Again. _Oh well. At least this gives me a little motivation to get some laundry done. I am out of towels, after all._ She pulled the covering off of her pillow and walked into the bathroom. After cleaning up her face from the nosebleed, she tossed the pillowcase into the hamper and dragged it to the front door of her apartment. After changing into some less revealing clothes than the short shorts and tank top she'd been sleeping in, she grabbed a handful of quarters and dropped them into her pocket before opening the door, picking up the hamper, and heading downstairs to the laundromat.

By the time she was done with her laundry, it was 6:43AM. She still had over four hours to kill until her appointment with Dr. Varnado. After the laundry was all folded and put away, Max just sat motionless on her bed, weighing the pros and cons of attempting to take a nap. On one hand, she was exhausted, as usual. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she was even capable of sleep anymore, without those goddamned nightmares. For once, she wished she could fast-forward time instead of just rewinding. Though, she imagined that, somehow, this would be just as dangerous. _What to do?_ She thought. She briefly considered sending a flirty text to Warren, but thought better of it. No need to encourage or tease him. _Besides,_ she thought, _He's probably not even awake yet. I sure as hell wouldn't be, if I could sleep._ Lying back onto the bed, resting her head on the pillows, she picked up her phone and decided to pass the time watching some YouTube videos.

She arrived at the doctor's office at exactly 10:45, giving her time to fill out the new patient paperwork ahead of her eleven o'clock appointment. After handing her clipboard over to the receptionist, she was told to have a seat, and that the doctor would see her in just a moment. After a few moments, a tall, thin man in a freshly pressed suit appeared. "You must be Maxine? I'm Jim Varnado." He said as he held out his right hand. Max stood, grasping and shaking his hand. He was much younger than she'd expected. He was ruggedly handsome, with a neatly trimmed beard and loose, curly hair. He reminded her of Bradley Cooper, the actor. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Varnado."  
"Please, call me Jim." He replied. "This is a small practice in a small town. No sense in being pretentious. Besides, I want you to be comfortable with me."  
"Well, in that case, call me Max. Never Maxine."  
He smiled warmly and nodded in agreement. "Max it is, then."

Stepping into the therapy room, Jim gestured for Max to have a seat on the couch which faced his own chair. As they both took their seats, Max thought the big leather couch was actually more comfortable than it looked. She must've sunken into the cushions a good three or four inches, and she was not very heavy.  
"Should I lie down? I've never done this before." She asked tentatively. Dr. Varnado responded with another warm smile. "That's how Freud did it. Me, I just want you to be comfortable. So, sit if you want to sit, lie down if you want to lie down."  
"Okay… So, where do we start?" Max inquired. She was nervous as hell, but hid it behind her usual mask of apathetic indifference.  
"You tell me, Max. Where are you comfortable starting?" There was that word again. _This guy is all about comfort._ She thought.  
"I guess it all started when my best friend was murdered." Max said, flatly. She had a hard time making eye contact when talking about it, so she stared at a painting hanging on the wall.  
"I'm so sorry to hear that. I know it must be very difficult to talk about, so, please, continue at your own pace." Dr. Varnado responded in a very supportive tone.

Max told the same story that she had told Joyce and Warren before. The doctor had given her a bit more insight to what that kind of trauma could do to the human psyche, but understanding what was going on in her brain didn't exactly make her feel any better. She did walk out with three prescriptions; Lexapro for depression, Xanax for anxiety, and Ambien for help sleeping. She didn't really like taking pills, but was willing to try just about anything, at this point. As she walked her way from the doctor's office to the pharmacy, she couldn't help but realize just how tired she was. She had gone with little to no sleep before, who hadn't? But, usually, after two or three nights in a row of that, she needed to crash for about ten or twelve hours. Lately, there had been no extended crash period. Just night after night of torturous nightmares, and what little sleep she did get was restless. She lit up a cigarette as she turned a corner onto the street where the pharmacy was located.

After picking up her new meds and a fresh pack of smokes, the walk home was rather uneventful. She was lost in a haze of her own thoughts and an overpowering feeling of emptiness. _God, I miss Chloe._ She thought to herself as her legs carried her toward her apartment building, as if on auto pilot. _If I could just have had more time with her… Ugh! Stop it, Max!_ She shook her head furiously, trying to 'clear the cobwebs', as it were. Looking to her right, she saw the back of a building with graffiti covering a large portion of the red brick. On the ground in front of the makeshift mural was a can of spray paint, evidence of the crime. Max walked over and picked up the can, judging by the weight, it was still about half full. Giving the can a good shake, she began to add to the graffiti… "WHERE ARE YOU, CHLOE PRICE? I LOVE YOU!" now resided on the wall of this building, in very large letters.

 **Note from the author:**

Hi guys! I just wanted to take some time here to communicate with you, the reader, for a moment.  
First of all, thank you so much for going on this journey with me. I know it hasn't been super pleasant, for the most part. Hopefully, you guys are still on board. To be honest, I never expected anyone to actually read this stuff, let alone like it.

When I set out to write this story, I wanted to do something different from all the other Life is Strange fanfics out there. It wasn't necessarily my intention to write a dark story, so much as a real, grounded story. Yes, I may go off the deep end occasionally and put in a few things that aren't super realistic, but I try my best to keep it real. There are so many fluff pieces out there, but I wanted to check in on Max some time after the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending to see how she's doing. Apparently, not very well. Which, I feel is to be expected. This isn't a PriceField piece or a GrahamField piece, this is Max's story of being an independent young woman in the face of as much adversity as you can imagine.

Anyway, I really hope you guys are enjoying the ride so far. There's still plenty to come!

Also! I highly encourage you to submit reviews. The site seems to think there are 4 reviews right now, but there is really only one. So, please give me some feedback!

A couple easter eggs: The chapter titles (with the exception of the first one "Night Terrors") are all song titles. Most of them are pretty obscure, so I forgive you if you didn't notice. Also, the therapist in this chapter is named Dr. Varnado, after my Psychology 101 professor in college.


	5. Chapter 5

**All in Time**

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

 **Chapter 5  
Before Tomorrow Comes**

Max entered her apartment and locked the door behind her. After her little graffiti incident, she had cried for half the walk home. But, now, she was in her comfort zone. Dropping her messenger bag on the floor beside the door, she removed the three bottles from the drugstore and snapped it back shut. She walked into the bedroom and placed the medicine bottles in her nightstand drawer. After making herself more comfortable, meaning removing her hoodie, then her bra and jeans, she walked across the living room, into the kitchen, and made herself a glass of water. Sitting on the edge of the bed in just her t-shirt and panties, she set the glass down atop the nightstand. She took out the medicine bottles and began to take one of each of the prescribed pills. She didn't even care that it was mid-afternoon, she was tired as hell, and she was going to take an Ambien.

After downing the trio of drugs, she picked up her phone. She had a text message from Warren asking how she was. "Warren, I'm so sorry we haven't really talked since yesterday. I haven't been sleeping well, and am exhausted. Just took an Ambien, gonna try to crash until morning." She typed before tapping Send. Lying back, she swung her legs up onto the bed, covered herself with the blanket, got comfortable, and closed her eyes. The Xanax was definitely fast-acting. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so relaxed, so at ease. The Ambien was fairly quick to kick in as well, and she was out like a light in no time.

Max suddenly found herself in a haze. She had to blink several times to be able to see. Peering through the fog, she soon realized that she was in the junkyard. She was sitting on the hood of the car that she had sat on with Chloe during _the week that never happened._  
"Hey, everything okay?" She was startled by the sound of Chloe's voice. Looking to her left, she saw her blue-haired beauty, who was actually…Smiling?  
"I'm fine…I think. Are you gonna shoot me, or bitch at me about letting you get shot?" Max asked, tentatively.  
"What? No way!" Chloe replied. "When did I ever get shot? Why would I have any reason to bitch? Are you sure you're okay, Max? You're talking crazy." She said, eying Max suspiciously.  
"I'm fine, Chloe." Max replied, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. Through the haze of the drugs and the surreal nature of dreams, she forgot that she even was dreaming, and accepted what was before her as reality. "Chloe, I'm so glad to see you. I missed you so much!" She blurted out as she tenderly took Chloe's hand into her own.  
Chloe's expression was equal parts shock and confusion. She didn't immediately pull her hand back, but did so after a moment. "Max, what the fuck? You are acting hella weird right now. How could you miss me, when we've been together all day?"  
 _Oh shit!_ She thought. _This is taking place before the week that never happened ended. Just play it cool, Max..._ "I mean, I missed you the last few years, when I was in Seattle… I know I'll never be able to make it up to you, but I'm really sorry I never called or anything." She was now frowning and clearly on the verge of tears. "Seeing you again, now, makes me realize just how much I missed you, Chloe. I can't believe I was such a dick."

"Oh, you were a dick, alright." Chloe made a fist and punched Max in the upper arm sharply.  
"Ow!" Max exclaimed, a bit over-dramatically, while rubbing her upper left arm with her right hand. "I totally deserved that… But, seriously, I can't tell you how happy I am that we're back together."  
"Totally!" Chloe replied, sliding her right arm around Max's shoulders. "Let's just forget about the past for now, okay? Just promise me you won't leave again."  
"I promise!" Max replied as she leaned into Chloe's warm embrace. Just then, she had a moment of lucidity and looked over to the spot where she now knew Rachel was buried. The ground was relatively undisturbed, so she knew that Chloe's friend was still there, slowly decomposing. Thankfully, her mind quickly went back into dream mode when Chloe gently leaned her head against her own. Slipping her own arm around Chloe's waist, she let out another sigh, this time a sigh of contentment. This is exactly what she'd been longing for. More time to spend with the woman she loved. The fact that they were basically cuddling was just icing on the cake.

"Max?" Chloe spoke, softly.  
"Yeah?"  
"You know as soon as the Xanax wears off, I'm gonna make you search for bottles, right?"  
"Yeah."  
"Okay. Just so we're clear."  
Max just smiled and hugged her tighter. She felt her cheeks flush slightly just at the feeling of Chloe's body pressed against hers. Suddenly, a sense of urgency swept over her as she vaguely remembered that she was dreaming and didn't have all the time in the world. No matter how difficult it was, she had to confess…  
"Chloe, there's something I need to tell you, but I don't want to freak you out."  
"Okay, shoot." Max had to cringe just a bit at Chloe's choice of words.  
 _C'mon, Max, out with it… You don't have time for a slow burn here, cut to the chase!_ "Well, I know we just reconnected a couple days ago, but I just... I love you, Chloe. And not just as a friend, not even just as a best friend. I am completely, totally, head over heels in love with you, and I can't keep it to myself any longer." She stopped and tried to read Chloe's expression. Her jaw had dropped and her eyes had gone wide.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Caulfield?!" Chloe finally managed to reply. "I've had a crush on you since I was fourteen years old! But, stupid, awkward middle school Chloe never knew what to say or how to say it, or if she should even be having those feelings!" Now it was Max's turn to be completely taken by surprise. She felt like her heart would sprout wings and fly away. This was even better than she'd hoped for. She felt a goofy smile growing across her face.

"Lucky for you, grown up Chloe has some ideas of how to express her feelings..." With that, Chloe threw her arms around Max's neck and pulled her close, giving her the deepest, most awesomely passionate kiss she'd ever experienced. A wave of heat seemed to wash over her as she wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist, returning the kiss with equal enthusiasm. She audibly moaned against Chloe's lips. She never wanted to let go, never wanted this moment to end.

Suddenly, Chloe broke the kiss and pulled away. "What the hell is that god-awful noise?" She asked.  
"What noise?" Max replied. "I don't hear any..." _Oh shit...No…_ Suddenly, she felt the shrill scream of her morning alarm pulling her back into reality. "No... Not now... NOOOOOO!"

"God dammit!" Max exclaimed as she hit the Dismiss button on her phone so hard that she almost cracked the screen. She flopped over to lie on her back, in the middle of the bed, her arms spread out, eyes shut tight, trying to recreate the dream in her mind. Catching only fleeting glimpses of what she'd just experienced in her sleep, she came to the sudden realization that her skin and hair were soaked with sweat. Kicking the blanket off of herself, she stared up at the ceiling for several long moments. Though she could not get back into the dream, she remembered that kiss very clearly. Just the thought of it made her shiver. Impulsively, she brought her knees up and slid off her panties, then, lying flat once more, she bit her lower lip as her right hand glided down over her belly and between her thighs…


	6. Chapter 6

**All in Time**

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

 **Chapter 6**  
 **Never Walk Alone**

Max walked to work feeling the best she'd had in months. Obviously, the anti-depressants hadn't had time to take effect yet. But, that dream was amazing! Just having been able to spend time with Chloe was magical. Not to mention that kiss, and…what came after it. She lit up a cigarette and placed the pack and lighter back into her bag as she strolled down the street. The weather was beautiful. Only a few clouds in the sky, and no salty wind blowing in her face. _It's gonna be a good day._ She thought, as she took another drag from her cigarette.

She couldn't help but smile at the memories of the dream she'd had the night before, though they seemed to come and go rather quickly through her mind. This morning was the first time she'd (ahem) fulfilled her physical needs, while thinking of Chloe. Most of her memories of her lost love were so painful. It was so nice to finally have a pleasant, intimate moment with her, even if it wasn't real. Max's personality had always made her an optimist, even in the darkest of times. I mean, sure, her life was shit, but she never complained about it. She just trudged on, kept pushing forward. So, she was happy to take what she could get, in this area.

As usual, when she arrived at the Two Whales, she took one last drag from her cigarette and flicked the butt into the parking lot before stepping into the back entrance. The hustle and bustle of the breakfast rush was just starting, as the kitchen was abuzz with orders being taken and cooked. Joyce spotted her as she was rushing by, plate in hand.  
"Max! You're on time!" She said, giving Max a warm smile. "And, you look like you're doing much better this morning."  
"Thanks, Joyce. I am feeling a lot better. I got a ton of sleep last night!"  
"Great! Tell me all about it, later, okay? Right now, clock in and suit up. There's tables to wait and tips to be made."

The day was going fairly uneventfully, with the exception of the occasional bitchy customer, until one of the waitresses who works the evening shift called in. Max was asked to work a double shift, with the promise of having the day off tomorrow. Since she actually wasn't tired for the first time she could remember, and in a good mood, she agreed. To her surprise, dinner customers seemed to tip better than the breakfast and lunch crowd that she was used to. She'd made more money in one day than she usually did in three days of mornings only. The downside was, however, that she no longer felt fresh and energized. She felt run down and greasy as hell. More than ready to go home and shower, she hung up her apron, stuffed her tip money into her bag, and walked out the door.

It was dark by the time Max walked out of work. Pulling her trusty pack of Camel Blue 99's and her lighter out of her messenger bag, she lit one up and dropped the items back into the bag. Then, slipping her phone out of her pocket, she fired up her trusty flashlight app and started the long walk back to Ocean View Apartments.

As she strolled along the well-beaten path that she had walked every afternoon for the last seven-plus months, she thought about what she would do with the money she'd just made. _Maybe I can finally buy myself a damn coffee table for the living room._ She thought, before coming up with ten other ideas within a few seconds. An alert on her phone told her that she had a new text message. It was, predictably, from Warren. "Hey Max. Hope evrthn is ok. Um, if you're not doin anythn tmrw, can I come over?" Max had to wrinkle her nose just a bit at his shorthand. She was just going to have to accept the fact that most people didn't text in the King's English, she decided. She stopped walking to type her response, so as not to walk into anything. She was clumsy enough without the impairment of texting. "Sure! I worked a double today, so they actually gave me the day off tomorrow," She sent.

Just then, she heard footsteps behind her. Normally, this would not be cause for alarm, but, it was dark, and she was in a notoriously rough part of town. She aimed the beam of light in front of her and started walking again, a bit faster than she had been before. When the footsteps behind her picked up the pace, she went into a full sprint. A few moments later, she felt a large, strong hand grab her right shoulder and twist her body around, slamming her back against a brick wall. Between the torque of the twist and the impact of the wall, she dropped her phone.

Her phone landed face down, the flashlight shining straight up. In the dim light, she could just make out her attacker's face. He was mid-twenties with a shaved head and a goatee. Max's eyes widened when the man brought a knife into view.  
"You look a little young to be out at night alone," He said, as he looked her up and down. "A little skinny, but you are a cute little thing, aren't ya?"  
She struggled against his grip as he licked his lips. At this point, she knew that he wasn't after money…

In her desperation, Max kicked the man in the shin as hard as she could.  
"Ow! You fucking bitch!" He yelled, as he lunged forward with his knife. Max dodged to her right, but the blade managed to catch her skin, leaving a long cut across her upper left arm. Reflexively, her right hand raised, palm forward, as if reaching out to use The Force. She watched as the world around the man blurred and everything began to move in reverse. The assailant began to run backward, then slowed to a brisk walk. Soon, he was far out of Max's vision, returned to the shadows from whence he came.

Max picked up her phone and ran the rest of the way home. Arriving at her apartment, she hastily unlocked the door, went in, and quickly locked it behind her. For the first time, she wished her door had more than two locks. Dropping her bag on the floor, she leaned back against the door, panting to catch her breath. She began to frantically ponder what consequences this use of her power might have, when she realized that her arm was still bleeding.

Luckily, the cut wasn't very deep. She put the lid of the toilet down and sat on top of it as she cleaned the wound with some peroxide and then bandaged it up. She mentally thanked her parents for sending her a first aid kit. _Speaking of which, I should call them soon._ She thought. _I don't want them to think I've forgotten about them or anything._  
She sighed as she remembered that she'd dropped her phone. Pulling it back out of her pocket, she examined the damage for the first time. The screen was definitely cracked. There was an impact point on the bottom-right corner, and hairline cracks running all over the place. _Well, I guess I know where all those tips I earned today are going._ She thought to herself with a frown.

After retrieving her cigarettes and lighter from her bag and a glass of water from the kitchen, Max sat on the edge of her bed. After taking her Lexapro and Xanax, she lit a cigarette and began to check her phone's weather app to see if there were any strange atmospheric happenings in the area. Although, she supposed, it was kind of pointless. No one had seen the snow, eclipse, or tornado coming during _the week that never happened_.

Finishing her cigarette, she stamped out the butt in the ash tray and stood up from the bed. Walking into the bathroom, she started the water running in the shower. After quickly disrobing, she stepped into the small shower stall. The hot water felt amazing on the tense muscles of her back and shoulders. As she started to wash her hair, she noticed that she was running low on shampoo and made a mental note to pick up some more. After she was done scrubbing the diner grease off of herself, she stepped out, dried off with one of her now clean towels, and carefully changed the bandage on her arm.

The Xanax was already doing its thing, in conjunction with the hot water, giving Max a feeling of being completely relaxed, despite the obvious stress she'd endured today. Without bothering to put on any night clothes, she walked back out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Sitting back on the edge of the bed, she slid the nightstand drawer open and took out her bottle of Ambien. After taking one of the sleeping pills, she slipped between the sheets and lay her head on the pillows, closing her eyes.

As her eyes fluttered open, Max found herself in yet another familiar environment. She was in Chloe's room, the early morning light filtering through the American flag covering the window. Her eyes scanned the room. The hazy fog that had surrounded them in the junkyard was present here, as well, but not as thick; she could still make out all the permanent marker graffiti, even on the far side of the room. The "Hole to another universe" was right where it should be. Turning her head to look to her left, she found Chloe, still sleeping. She couldn't help herself from staring for a few moments. She remembered being in this same place during _the week that never happened_. When she'd been here before, she had been too absorbed in her own shit to really appreciate just how beautiful Chloe looked in the dim light of the morning, how peaceful she seemed in sleep.

The last time she was here, she had picked up her camera to take a selfie. Chloe had woken up to jump into the shot. This time, she wasn't going to waste the moment. She carefully scooted her body close to Chloe's and draped her right arm around her lost love's waist. Chloe seemed to release a sleepy moan of contentment and her hand came to rest on Max's. The thought occurred to her that this was also the morning of her and Chloe's first kiss, such as it was. Suddenly, she felt Chloe's hand guiding her own downward, sliding beneath the waistband of Chloe's panties…

Max awoke with a start to a loud banging noise. Someone was knocking on her front door. She looked over to see bright sunshine filtering through the blinds of her window. It appeared to be nearly noon. "Shit! Warren!"


	7. Chapter 7

**All in Time**

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

 **Chapter 7**  
 **I Don't Believe in Love**

"Just a minute!" Max yelled in the general direction of the front door as she scrambled out of bed and began to throw clothes on as quickly as she could. Donning an old pair of sweat pants and a comfy tee shirt, she strode over to the door. Standing on her tiptoes to look through the peep hole, she confirmed that it was, indeed, her expected guest. After unlocking both the knob and deadbolt, she opened the door. "Hey, Warren," She said, in a gruff just-woke-up voice. "Um, it's not…snowing or anything like that outside, is it?"  
"What? No… Why would you even ask that?" He asked, seeming very much confused.  
"No reason." She responded, waving off the question. "Come on in." She gave him a little smile, even though part of her wanted to strangle him for breaking up her rather erotic dream.

"What took you so long? I've been knocking for a good while." Warren said as he stepped through the door, a look of frustration upon his face.  
"I'm sorry, Warren. I was actually still asleep. These sleeping pills the doc gave me are maybe a little _too_ effective."  
"Yeah, I guess so." Warren said, his expression finally softening a bit. "I'm glad you're sleeping better, though. I know you've been going through hell lately, with the nightmares and all."  
"Yeah, I've been sleeping a lot better, lately!" Max said, as she gave Warren a warm hug. "I'm sorry if my breath reeks. I haven't had a chance to brush my teeth yet."  
Warren chuckled, returning the hug. "No way, you're fine."  
"So, what brings you to my extremely humble abode, Mr. Graham?" She inquired, finally releasing him from the embrace.  
"Well, I just hadn't seen you since…you know… And, I knew you'd been to the doctor since then, so I just wanted to see how you were doing. Obviously, the answer is 'better'."  
Max had to laugh at his wording. "Warren, we had sex. We're both adults, there's no reason to dance around it."  
"Yeah, that…" He said, seeming a bit nervous about the subject, still.  
"And, if you think you're mature enough to handle it without it getting all weird, maybe we could do it again?"  
This certainly seemed to perk him up. "Wait, what? When?"  
Her dream was still very fresh in her mind, and it'd had her amped up, sexually, from the moment she awoke. "How about…right now?" Max responded, leaning in to kiss his lips the same as she had the other night on the couch.

As they both lie naked in Max's bed, she lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply before flicking the ashes into the ash tray. She felt a little guilty for using Warren to satisfy the longings created by Chloe in her dreams. But, she somehow managed to justify it in her mind with the fact that he was here and Chloe wasn't. Of course that didn't ease her guilt over what she was actually doing to the poor young man beside her. "Warren? You're being awfully quiet over there. You sure you're okay with this?"  
"Absolutely!" He sounded to Max like he was trying hard not to sound like he was lying. "The only thing I'm slightly not okay with is your smoking." He waved his hand back and forth dramatically, as if trying to dissipate the second-hand smoke.  
"Hey; my house, my rules." Max said, defiantly. "It's my party, and I'll smoke if I want to."  
Warren just chuckled before his eyes seemed to drift down slightly, to her exposed chest. Max had to fight off the urge to cover herself with the blanket. Not only was it a bit of a fire hazard with a lit cigarette in her hand, but she was also putting a lot of effort into not being ashamed of her body. Ever since Chloe died, her choice of fashion had gone more than just a bit toward the frumpy side. She didn't want to be seen by anyone, especially anyone who might be interested in her. Somehow, the fact that Warren was already interested had earned him a free pass.

"So, you're okay if this happens more often, and we still stay friends?" She asked, somewhat tentatively.  
"Yeah," Warren replied. "I mean, what guy in his right mind would turn down semi-regular sex with a beautiful girl?"  
Max could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She had never really thought of herself as beautiful, even less so, recently.  
"So, you're okay with being…friends with benefits? My god, that is the most cringe-worthy phrase I've ever said out loud."  
Warren laughed at the admission. "Yeah. I mean, you know how I feel from our discussion the other day." Max nodded that she did. "But, I still understand. I mean, you've gone through so much! But, I also understand that everyone has, like, needs, I guess."  
She took another drag from her cigarette to avoid tears. "Warren, you really are the sweetest person I know. I really am sorry that it has to be this way. I just…I don't know if I even believe in love, anymore…"

After having another go and another cigarette, Max and Warren both got dressed and headed out of her apartment. Thankfully Warren had a car, so they didn't have to walk to the AT&T store. After looking at several new phones, Max decided to take the road less travelled and purchased a Windows Phone. _Everyone has Android or iPhone,_ She thought. _A true hipster finds the more obscure option._

After the phone shopping was done, they went in search of lunch/dinner. They decided to go to the Mexican place around the corner with the outdoor eating area. As they sat, munching on chips and salsa, Max couldn't help watching the skies for any unusual disturbances caused by the use of her power the night before. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful. No signs of snow, an eclipse, or tornados. When she finally looked down from the sky, she saw that Warren was staring at her, though he quickly looked away. She smiled a little to herself as she dipped a chip in her salsa and bit into it.

As the waitress brought their entrees, Max thanked her and then turned back to Warren. "Penny for your thoughts?" She said, softly.  
"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking about how awesome this salsa is! I wish I could buy a gallon of this stuff to keep at home." Though his statement was accurate, the salsa _was_ really good, she could tell that he wasn't telling the truth of what he was actually thinking about. But, she decided not to press the issue and instead dug into her enchilada.

Just as they had finished their meal and were waiting for the waitress to bring the check, Max doubled over from the sudden onset of a splitting headache.  
"Max, are you okay?" Warren asked as he got up from his chair and gently grasped her upper arm.  
"I-I'm fine…" She lied, as she brought her right hand up to her forehead, gently massaging her temples.  
"Are you sure? Your nose is bleeding…"  
 _Ugh! Why now?_ She thought to herself, as she grabbed a fistful of napkins from the table and used them to give her nose a gentle squeeze.

After thoroughly freaking out the cute Latina waitress and successfully stopping the nosebleed, they paid the check and left the restaurant. Arriving at her apartment building, she thanked Warren for the ride and his understanding of their situation. He assured her that both were "no problem", though she sensed the slightest bit of melancholy in his voice. She felt sick, and not just because of the headache that was still dogging her to this moment. She felt as if, no, she _knew_ that she was using him, and she hated herself for it. She had never been the type of person to use people for her own ends. No matter how she rationalized it to herself, it would probably be best if she stopped it. Adult toys weren't exactly hard to get ahold of in this day and age. But, on the other hand, it was so nice to be touched by another person… And, even though she knew he wanted more, she was relatively sure that Warren didn't mind the sex… She had another appointment with Dr. V tomorrow, so she would bring it up in the session, she decided.

Once inside her apartment, she disposed of the AT&T bag, but kept the box her new phone came in, as the charger and earbuds were still inside. She then got herself a glass of water from the kitchen, then retrieved her cigarettes and lighter from her messenger bag, which she had dropped on the floor when she first walked in. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she went through her now nightly ritual. The only difference is, this time, she added five ibuprofen to her normal medicinal regimen. After smoking a final cigarette, she set the alarm on her new phone and slipped between the sheets.

Max found herself in her underwear, floating in lukewarm water. She was in the pool at Blackwell Academy. The haze that hand hung over all her dreams lately was present once again, in addition to the slight bit of steam from the heated pool. "Why look, an otter in my water." She heard Chloe say, playfully. She smiled as she looked over at the also half-naked Chloe Price. She remembered that line so well. It was the first time she had ever gotten the feeling that Chloe was flirting with her.  
"Earth to Max… You alright over there? You're being eerily fucking quiet with your goofy-ass grin on your face." Chloe said.  
"I am perfectly fine, Chloe." Max responded. "You have no idea how happy I am at this moment." Just then, the pain of her real life headache came to visit her in the dreamscape. Her eyes shut tightly as she once again brought up a hand to rub her temples.

"Whoa, Max. I am legit concerned now." Chloe said as she swam over and snaked an arm around Max's shoulders. "Am I gonna have to carry you out of here, all Baywatch style?"  
"No, I'll be okay." Max said, as she opened her eyes, the pain finally beginning to subside. "But, uh…You can totally keep your arm around me, if you want." She said, looking up at Chloe with the sweetest of puppy dog eyes. Her grin returned instantly as she saw that Chloe was actually blushing… This was the first time she'd seen her best friend blush since the days when she still had blonde hair.

Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from outside the doors to the pool area. Looking in that direction, she saw flashlights and could barely make out David's voice. _Shit! I forgot about this part!_ She thought to herself. Quickly, she raised her right hand to use her rewind power, but, before she could do so, the shrill sound of her alarm clock overrode all thought. Still in a half-sleep, she pawed at her phone repeatedly, until she hit the snooze button.

 **Note from the author:**

So, I'm dropping this chapter a couple days ahead of schedule, because this story has just hit 1000 views! Thank you guys so much for reaching this milestone in just a little over ten days. You are the best!  
The bad news is, we have reached the end of the chapters I have already written. Meaning that, from now on, you will have to wait a whole week in between chapters. :(  
But, I wanted to do something special for reaching the big 1K. Unfortunately, the only thing I could come up with was posting this a little early, and the promise of a pretty damn good chapter next week. At least, I hope it will be good. I feel like I have some good ideas. Just gotta write them down.

Anyway, thank you guys once more. I never thought anyone would ever want to read this story, but I'm glad that so many have, and some of you have even enjoyed it! Please keep sending me feedback in the form of reviews or PM's. I read them all, and invite any encouragement or criticism you may have.


	8. Chapter 8

All in Time

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

Chapter 8  
The Day I Tried to Live

Max awoke, still a bit tired, despite getting plenty of sleep. She'd read that this was one of the side effects of Ambien. Slowly, she crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom. After using the facilities and changing the bandage on her arm, she began to get dressed. After once again fishing one of her shoes out from beneath the bed, she picked up her phone and cigarettes off the night stand and dropped them into her messenger bag. She was definitely going to have to stop by the corner store for an energy drink on her way to work. She stepped out of her apartment, locking the door behind her, and exited the building.

After procuring a Rockstar from the local convenience store, Max lit up a cigarette and alternated bringing the beverage and the cancer stick to her mouth as she walked along the sidewalk toward the Two Whales. Turning her head to look down an alleyway, she thought she saw the man who had attacked her a few nights earlier. He didn't seem to notice her, however, or he just wasn't brave enough to make a move in broad daylight. Max picked up her pace a bit anyway, as she exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air.

Arriving at the diner a few minutes early, she took her time finishing both her cigarette and her energy drink. By the time she entered her workplace, she no longer felt tired. She wasn't really jittery, either. She was just slightly more energetic than her normal self. Putting her things away and donning her apron, she was informed by Joyce that someone around Max's age was in the corner booth waiting for her. Max wondered who it could be as she clocked in for the day. It wouldn't be Warren. He would call or text, or just show up at her apartment. She also couldn't think of any regular customers who were near her own age. Even Frank was a little older, and he skipped town not long after Rachel's funeral. Besides, he barely knew Max in this timeline, and would have no reason to ask for her. Wanting to get a look at this mystery youth before they had a chance to spot her, Max did her best ninja impression and walked out from the kitchen and to the dining floor as quietly as she could, approaching the booth in question from the back of the mystery person. As she closed in, the recognized the short blonde hair and cashmere sweater.

"Victoria?" Max asked in a surprised tone. "What brings you to the 'International House of Grease'?"  
"There you are!" Victoria responded in her usual borderline regal voice. "I've been waiting here in this hellhole for over twenty minutes, sipping the worst coffee known to man." Her sly smile betrayed her use of sarcasm. Max never could tell when Victoria was kidding or being serious. As far as she knew, Vic was always serious. In fact, this might be the first time she'd ever seen her smile. And, she'd be damned if Victoria didn't look perfect, as always, despite the early hour.  
"I'm sorry for making you wait…I think." Max said, tentatively. "But, you didn't answer my question. I never thought you'd be caught dead in a place like this, let alone that you'd be here, asking for me."  
"Look, Max… Um, do you have a minute to sit with me?"  
After looking around to see the diner not too terribly busy, she looked to Joyce, who seemed to have overheard. After receiving a nod from Joyce, Max took a seat in the booth across from Victoria.

"So, okay," Victoria began. "I know we haven't exactly been the best of friends… But, since you dropped out of school, there's been no reason for any kind of rivalry between us. And, now that I've graduated from Blackwell, I suppose I've just realized that it's kinda dumb to hold a grudge. I'm heading off to college soon, and all this high school shit just seems kinda petty in the grand scheme of things, you know?"  
"Uh huh…" Was the only thing Max could think to say. Internally, she thought, _She must want something, but I can't imagine what…_  
Victoria looked at her as if she were the dumbest person she'd ever met. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm not your enemy, Max. I never really was."  
"I never thought of you as an enemy, Victoria. I tried to be nice to you, as much as you'd let me."  
"I know. Which is why I feel so bad about being a total bitch to you. I guess I just wanted to make amends before I leave Arcadia Bay forever. Just wanted to get it off my chest."  
Now Max was becoming even more skeptical. And, with more customers entering the diner every minute, she was running out of time for beating around the bush.  
"Victoria, I find it hard to believe that you got up early and came here just to apologize to me for being a bitch in school…"

"Yeah, I guess there's no point in trying to sugar coat it… I mean, I do want us to be friends… But, also, I need your help, Max."  
 _There it is…_ Max thought to herself. _This should be good._ "Go on…"  
"Okay, so, here's the thing… I've graduated from Blackwell, so I can't stay in the dorms anymore. And, um… My mom and I kind of had a falling-out. So, I can't go home, and I don't have the money for a hotel…"  
"I think I see where this is going… You must be really desperate if you are asking to stay at my place…"  
"I am… You know I wouldn't ask if I wasn't."  
"What about your Vortex Club pals? Can't stay with any of them?"  
"They've all moved away already. They didn't have any issues with their family. To be honest, I didn't, either, until a couple days ago. Please don't make me beg, Max. You know I won't." Victoria said, firmly. Clearly, she needed help, but she still had some semblance of pride.

"You know my place is tiny, right? It's only one bedroom." Max said with a tone of warning. "I can't imagine you'd be the slightest bit comfortable there."  
The expression on Victoria's face was priceless. It was as if what little pride she had left was suddenly sucked out of her. "I'll sleep on the couch, then. It's only for a couple days, a week tops. Just until this thing with my mom blows over."  
Max thought about it for a long moment. It was going to be super awkward, and cramped. But, she never could say no to someone in need.  
"Okay, Victoria. I have a doctor's appointment after work, but I'll text you when I get out, so you can bring your stuff over."  
"Oh my god, thank you so much, Max! You are a much better person than I've been toward you. I'm sorry, again, for being such a bitch."  
"It's fine." Max said, with a little smile. "But, I really need to get to work, now."

Max finished out her shift, clocked out, and hung up her apron. After pulling the day's tips out of her apron pocket and stuffing them into her messenger bag, she was out the door and on her way to Dr. Varnado's office. This was only her second visit to the good doctor, and the first time she'd come straight from work. She only hoped that Jim or the office staff wouldn't be offended by her smelling like bacon and coffee. Then again, Joyce was one of his patients, too, so he was probably used to it, if she ever came in straight from work.

Arriving at the doctor's office, she wrote her name and the time on the sign-in sheet and had a seat in the waiting area. After a few moments, she was called back to the session room.  
"Good afternoon, Max." Jim said, warmly. "How have you been since our last visit?"  
"A lot better, actually." Max said, almost excitedly. "I feel more like my old self than I have in a really long time…" She went on to tell him all about how much better her dreams have been, and how she was now getting tons of sleep. He seemed a bit concerned when he asked her to go into more detail about her dreams. That concern was overshadowed only by Max's embarrassment at describing them in such detail. But, she knew it was for the best. This was therapy, after all.

"So, you're still dreaming of Chloe every night, only, now your subconscious is giving you what you want instead of playing on your fears and insecurities?"  
"Y-yeah…Basically." Max replied cautiously.  
"I'll be honest, Max. That worries me a bit. Neither extreme is very healthy for you. Ideally, you would stop dreaming about Chloe, or at least only occasionally see her in your dreams, not every night." He said, flatly.  
Max let out a heavy sigh. "So, what do we do, now? Can you, like, hypnotize me, or something? To get her out of my head?"  
Jim shook his head. "Hypnosis doesn't work, Max. Pardon my language when I say that it's, scientifically, bullshit. No psychologist or psychiatrist worth a damn would ever use it."

Max was starting to get anxious by this point. She was willing to try anything that could help her move on. She knew, deep down, that the constant dreams of Chloe, whether good or bad, were going to affect her relationships in real life. They might have already affected her relationship with Warren. Maybe, if she could truly get over Chloe, she could disassemble the wall she'd so carefully built up around herself.  
"So, what _can_ we do?" She asked.  
"Well, this is only our second session, Max. Give this therapy, and your meds, a chance before you start jumping to alternatives, okay?"  
Max nodded silently in agreement.  
"If it comes down to it, and you're still having the dreams after several sessions, we might look into lucid dreaming. Basically, it's a technique where you are dreaming while awake, and therefore have some control over the dream. Certainly not my area of expertise, but I might be able to find someone to refer you to. But, that should be a last resort."

As she stepped out of the building after her session was over, Max withdrew her phone from her pocket and opened the Messaging app. She first texted Victoria to let her know that she was on her way home and that Victoria could meet her there at any time. Next up, she texted Warren; "Hey, I need the help of science-y Warren. What do you know about lucid dreaming?"

Just as she was about to slide the phone back into her pocket, she got a reply message from Victoria; "Huh? What are you talking about?" Scrolling up, Max found that, instead of her intended message, she had only typed "Splish-splash."  
The color drained from her face as she involuntarily took a step backward. No way she could blame this on autocorrect, she was genuinely losing it. _What the fuck, Max?_ She thought, as she retyped her original message, using the correct words, this time. As she started the long walk back home, she felt a trickle of warm liquid on her upper lip. A quick swipe with the back of her hand confirmed what she already had known. Her nose was bleeding again…


	9. Chapter 9

All in Time

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

Chapter 9  
Slip To the Void

Max and Warren sat next to each other at the foot of Max's bed. The door to the bedroom was closed for the first time she could remember. She had left it open at all times since moving into her apartment. Only, now, Victoria was living on the other side of the door.

"I can't believe you let her stay with you." Warren finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence in the room.  
"Well, believe it or not, she actually asked nicely…" Max responded, idly kicking her dangling feet through the air.  
"Yeah… It's just that…She has a way of sucking all the fun out of a place, you know?"  
"Yeah, I know what you mean. But, you weren't there, Warren. She seemed so vulnerable. I know it couldn't have been easy for her to come to me for help. And, what kind of person would I be if I turned her away?"  
"I know, Max. You're such a warm and caring person. That's what always drew me to you." Warren said, nervously. "You're definitely nicer to her than she probably deserves. But, I think your heart might be made of solid gold."  
Max laughed. "No, I just know how it feels to have everything you've built come crashing down around you…" Her expression instantly turned from humor to one of somber remembrance. "If I can help anyone through that, even Victoria, I have to do it."

She didn't expect Warren to understand, but she felt as if she had an obligation to help people. She'd done her best to help Chloe, to disastrous effect. But, this time, she wasn't using her super power, only her power as a tenant of Ocean View Apartments.

After another awkward silence that seemed to go on for hours, Warren spoke again. "Anyway, I looked into lucid dreaming. Apparently, you have to kinda trick your brain into thinking you're asleep, but stay completely conscious. You'll be fully aware that you're dreaming, and you might be able to assert a small level control over the people and surroundings in your dream."  
"Okay, that sounds good. How do you do it?" Max asked. She couldn't imagine how one would 'trick' their brain into dreaming while awake.  
"Well, apparently, you have to completely relax, close your eyes, and don't move until you start dreaming. Like, from what I read, your body has checks to see if you're really asleep or not. Like, you might get a random itch or something, and, if you scratch it, your brain knows you're not asleep yet. So, you have to stay perfectly still, no matter what."  
"Okay. Awesome. Thanks, Warren!" She smiled and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

"I assume you were asking about it because of your nightmares. If so, you should be careful, Max." Warren said, his expression becoming stern.  
 _Poor Warren,_ Max thought. _I still haven't told him that the 'nightmares' have turned into something completely different._  
"First of all," Warren continued. "You probably won't get it on the first try. It's really hard to stay awake and have your brain go into a dream state. Also, a nightmare could be even worse when you're totally conscious."  
"Thank you for the warning, Professor Graham." She replied with a wink. "I promise I'll be careful… Now," She said, changing the subject. "Let's go do what I asked you over here to do."  
"You sure you want to do this, Max?" He asked with a grin. "You know it's gonna hurt like hell, right?"  
"Yup. That's why I asked you to come with me. I need the moral support. Plus, if I pass out from the pain, you can drive me home." She gave him a smile and she stood up from the bed and walked to the door. Warren followed suit, and, as they passed through the living room on their way out, they saw Victoria sitting on the couch, on the phone. Max could only assume that she was talking to her mother, as she was clearly arguing with someone. Max gave her new roommate a little wave as her face showed a frown of sympathy. Victoria, for her part, returned the wave with a tight-lipped half smile.

As they pulled up to the front of the building, Max began to have second thoughts. She sat in the car for a long moment, studying the pulsing neon sign that read "TATTOOS". She felt Warren gently grasp her shoulder, which seemed to lend her some strength.  
"Okay," She said as she opened the car door. "Let's go make some questionable decisions…"

Once inside, she was greeted by the typical inked and pierced misfit one would expect to see behind the counter of such an establishment. A short, thin woman who appeared to be in her late 20's or early 30's, with very short, dark hair. Freckles adorned the parts of her face that weren't otherwise decorated with piercings. Max wondered if she'd end up looking like this when she was the woman's age. She explained to the artist that she wasn't really sure what she wanted yet, but would know it when she saw it. Luckily, there were samples of the shop's work all over the walls.

As Max walked around, perusing all the drawings of fairies and skulls, she spotted it. With Warren still in tow, she walked straight to the image of a blue butterfly. It looked exactly like the one that she photographed on that bucket in the bathroom on that fateful day. It brought back bittersweet memories, for sure. On one hand, it would be a constant reminder of the day that Chloe died. However, on the other hand, it seemed like a fitting tribute. The butterfly was, after all, the catalyst for rekindling her relationship with Chloe. Besides, the color of its wings matched Chloe's hair color almost perfectly.

After about an hour of excruciating pain, most of which was spend squeezing the life out of Warren's hand, she exited the store with a large bandage covering the inside of her left forearm. Beneath the bandage now lived a fresh tattoo of the mysterious blue butterfly. She'd considered adding a banner beneath the image with the name "Chloe" on it, but, in the end, decided that the butterfly would be enough. She knew who it was for. Besides, the lettering would have cost extra.

"Max, you are so awesome! You actually did it!" Warren said, almost in disbelief, as they reached his car. "Badassery of that caliber deserves a reward. Olive Garden? My treat."  
"What can I say, I never could resist marginally authentic Italian food." Max responded with a wide smile. "Especially when I've earned it."

After nearly eating her weight in chicken gnocchi soup, Max and Warren returned to her apartment. When they arrived, the lights were all out, and Victoria appeared to be asleep on the couch. Tiptoeing across the living room and into Max's bedroom, she closed the door as softly as possible, so as not to disturb Victoria's slumber.

Sex while riding an adrenaline high, Max found, was amazing! She'd had to be careful not to touch, or allow Warren to touch, the fresh tattoo. However, it turned out to be a very small obstacle to avoid. Evidently, Warren enjoyed it as much as she did, as he was now sharing a cigarette with her, and he'd never smoked in his life, as far as Max knew.

After Warren had passed out, and the butt of the cigarette had been extinguished in the ash tray, Max decided that she would make her first attempt at lucid dreaming. She took her Lexapro and Xanax, but not her Ambien. Lying on her back, arms tucked behind her head, she closed her eyes…

Warren was right, the first attempt was unsuccessful. Max had fallen asleep, and was no more aware that she was dreaming than usual. The hazy fog that permeated her dreams of late was present once again. She wasn't exactly sure what that signified, but she had an idea. The fog started showing up at the same time that her dreams had shifted from nightmares to cuddly, sweet, quality-time-with-Chloe dreams. As best she could tell, the fog was caused by the drugs. Most notably the anti-anxiety medication. The difference this time was, there was no Chloe.

She seemed to be in a blank space. All she could see was black nothingness and the fog. Slipping her phone out of her pocket and firing up her flashlight app, she walked along, looking for any sign of anything… She felt like she was on a Star Trek holodeck with no program running.

Out of the vast nothingness, a dark shape appeared on Max's right. It crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. Her phone fell out of her hand, lying on the ground, the flashlight facing up, so she could see, but just barely. Her left forearm hurt, presumably from the fall. The dark shape collapsed on top of her. She tried to scream, but seemingly had no voice. She was just about to use her rewind power when the face of the shape came into view of the dim light.

"Howdy, stranger! I've been waiting for you." Chloe said. Max was entranced by the look in her eyes. Chloe seemed to look at her the way she imagined people who were in love looked at each other. In this moment, her pain was forgotten. Nothing in the world mattered. Then again, there didn't seem to be anything else in the world but the two of them.  
"Welcome to the wasteland, Max." She said, before softly kissing Max's lips.

"Chloe? W-where are we?"  
"Nowhere… I think. I dunno, man! It's your dream. You tell me!"  
"I…I'm dreaming?"  
"Duh! You do know I'm hella dead in real life, right?"  
"But… That's not right… This isn't… Something's wrong…" Max's head was swimming. She felt dizzy, even though she was lying on the ground. Her botched attempt at lucid dreaming had apparently left her in some sort of limbo, a void between waking and sleep.

"The only thing I'm seeing wrong here is that you're not nearly as into me as I am into you. Do you not love me anymore, Max?" Her expression had changed from a look of unconditional love to one of profound sadness. Her frown made Max die a little inside. "Has Warren completely replaced me?"  
"What? No! Never! No one could ever replace you in my heart, Chloe Price. You will always be my first true love." Suddenly, the pain in her arm returned, which triggered her memory. "I even got a tattoo dedicated to you! Not nearly as impressive as your ink, but I'm working on it. Baby steps…" She turned her left arm so that Chloe could see the blue butterfly on the inside of her forearm. This seemed to cheer her up somewhat, as her smile returned.  
"I love you, Max. So much it hurts." Chloe admitted. "I just wish we could've spent more time together, and, you know, had less stress on us when we _were_ together."  
"Oh, god, me too… Chloe, you have no idea how much I wish for the same thing, every fucking day. I love you, too." Max gently slipped her arms around Chloe's waist and closed her eyes. Just holding her made her feel more alive than she ever did in real life, anymore. Eventually, she fell asleep within the void and had no more dreams for the rest of the night.

She awoke to the sunlight invading her eyes through the blinds on the window, the annoyingly cliché sound of birds chirping, and Warren Graham in her arms. A tear rolled down her cheek as Chloe's words suddenly came back to haunt her; "Has Warren completely replaced me?"


	10. Chapter 10

All in Time

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

Chapter 10  
Outshined

Max was already in her work clothes, sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal. Victoria, in her designer outfit du jour, sat at the opposite end of the sofa, also enjoying a bowl of cereal. Max felt about as awkward as she ever had. She wondered if Victoria felt just as awkward. The silence between them seemed to point to an answer of "yes".

Strangely, Victoria was the first to break the awkward silence. After clearing her throat, she spoke softly, "Thank you again, for letting me stay here, Max…" The tone of her voice was as gentle as Max had ever heard it. She was nowhere near her bitchy Blackwell tone. "You're welcome, Victoria. I hope it's not too uncomfortable for you."  
"Well, to be honest, this couch is lumpy as hell," She laughed. "But, I have a roof over my head thanks to you. I'm really glad we've been able to put all the high school drama behind us. Now that I've been abandoned by the people who were supposed to be my friends, I feel like I can actually be myself."

"What do you mean?" Max asked. She had an idea from their conversation during _the week that never happened_ , but didn't want to give away her foreknowledge.  
"Well, the thing is, Max… I never hated you. Not really. I just acted like a megacunt toward you because you didn't fit in with the 'cool kids'. But, in reality, I actually admired your eye for photography, and… Yes, I actually like some of the same things you do. I feel like we could've been friends in a high school, in an alternate universe."

"Wow, Victoria… I never knew."  
"Yeah, well… There is no cool kids versus nerds anymore. Just adults trying to get by, right?"  
"Right. Speaking of which, I need to get to work." Max said, as she rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen to put her bowl into the sink. After running some water into the bowl to prevent the excess milk from congealing, she strode back through the living room to pick up her messenger bag.

"Oh, Max! Um… I hate to ask this, but can I bum a smoke from you before you leave?"  
"Sure," Max responded with a smile. "No problem." She fished around in her bag and pulled out her pack of cigarettes. When she looked up, Victoria was already halfway across the room to retrieve it from her.  
"Thanks, Max…" Her eyes lowered in a moment of what seemed like shame. "For everything."  
"It's no problem, Victoria. Really. I enjoy helping people when I can." She pulled not one, but two cigarettes from her pack and handed them to her short-haired 'frenemy'.  
"Well, all the same, thank you again. And, Max…"  
"Yeah?"  
"Be careful on your way to work."  
"Thanks, Victoria," Max said, smiling once again. "I will be."

As Max stepped outside and lit up her own cigarette, she began her walk to work, not completely sure if Victoria was acting or if she was genuinely being nice to her. It was always so hard to tell. Probably because of the shitty way she'd treated her in the past. It took a lot of good talks to wash away a few bad ones, it seemed. Max still didn't know if she could fully trust Victoria, but she'd be damned if she wasn't starting to like her.

The work day was a disaster. She'd gotten several orders wrong, which seemed to be happening more and more, lately. This led to a "coaching" session from Joyce. Everyone, herself included, found it odd that her memory would be slipping so much at the ripe old age of eighteen. Possibly the most unfortunate consequence of this was the fact that mixed up orders led to angry customers, which led to either very small tips, or none at all.

To add to that frustration, she'd also had one of her headaches, accompanied by the obligatory nosebleed. This was the first time this had happened to her at work. She was beginning to think the Two Whales was a safe haven from her physical ailments, but it seemed that was not the case, after all. She couldn't help but wonder if this was a result of having used her power the night she was mugged. If that were the case, she was glad to endure the pain and inconvenience rather than be tasked with trying to stop a giant tornado.

As she thought about that night, her right hand reflexively went to the bandage on her upper left arm. The cut was deep, but was healing nicely. _It's definitely gonna leave a scar._ She thought, as she rounded the last corner before she would arrive at her apartment building.

 _What the fuck?_ She thought to herself as she realized that she was literally walking down the wrong street. She'd passed her apartment building, and was now a good four blocks away in the other direction. _What is wrong with me? First, I send that weird text to Victoria, then I start messing up orders at work, and now I walk four blocks past home without even realizing it? God, maybe I really am losing it!?_

Finally arriving at her apartment, she shrugged her messenger bag off onto the floor next to the front door, which she closed and locked behind her. She felt tired. Almost as tired as she usually felt when she wasn't sleeping. Wanting nothing more than to wash the diner filth off of herself and relax for the rest of the day, she made her way toward the bathroom for a shower. Hearing the water already running, she surmised that Victoria was already using said amenity. Letting out a heavy sigh, she wandered to the bed instead and flopped down. Lying on her back, her feet still on the floor as the lower half of her legs dangled off the foot of the bed, she stared up at the ceiling.

At some point, her eyes had closed, and she had almost drifted off to sleep, when she heard the water stop running in the bathroom. Instinctively, her head turned toward the door, as she waited for Victoria to emerge, so she could take her turn at the shower. Little did she know that she was about to get more than she'd bargained for. After a few moments, Victoria stepped out of the bathroom, in all her glory, naked as the day she was born.

"Christ! Victoria!" Max yelled, as she reflexively covered her eyes with her hand.  
"Shit! Max, I didn't know you were home! I'm so sorry!"  
"It's fine," Max said, chuckling awkwardly. "Just get some clothes on, woman!"  
"Right!" Victoria responded, as she ran out of the room. Max couldn't resist sneaking a peek before she closed the door behind her.

Finally getting into the shower, Max cranked up the hot water and let it run down her back, soothing the tired and tense muscles. After scrubbing the diner grease from her hair and body, she carefully washed her still healing knife wound and new tattoo with anti-bacterial soap. After stepping out of the shower, putting a fresh bandage on the cut on her upper arm, and applying some Vitamin A&D cream on her tattoo, she wiped the steam condensation off the mirror, and screamed.

The face looking back at her was not hers. Slowly, Max waved her hand. The body in the mirror mimicked her movements, but, in the center of it all was Chloe's face, wearing a very condescending expression.  
"C'mon, Max, you're gonna make both our arms tired!" The woman in the mirror said.  
"Chloe? How are you here? This doesn't make sense!"  
"Doesn't it? I mean, did you really think you could have a dream without me showing up?"  
"Dream? No, that's not right. I'm wide awake. You can't be here." Max said, but the sick feeling in her gut told her otherwise.  
"If you're wide awake, who is that on the bed over there?" Chloe replied, pointing out the door into the bedroom. Max turned her head to look into the bedroom and saw her own body, still lying in the same position it was in before; feet on the floor, lying on her back. It was then that she realized that, not only was she still asleep, but she hadn't taken her Xanax.

"I have to say, I'm pretty fucking disappointed in you, Max." Chloe continued. "Not only are you banging Warren, but you're checking out other girls, now?"  
"What? No! I mean, I looked at Victoria, but I wasn't 'checking her out'."  
"Bullshit!" Chloe spat. "You might've covered your eyes as a token gesture, but you totally checked out her ass on the way out."  
Max could feel her cheeks burning as she blushed deep red. "Chloe, I…I'm sorry."  
"Maxine Caulfield, if you think for one second that, just because I'm dead, I'm not going to get jealous, you are seriously mistaken!"  
Max began to cry as she spoke between sobs, "I'm so sorry, Chloe… I don't mean to hurt you. I love you, and only you… Please know that."  
Chloe simply folded her arms and looked away in disgust.  
Suddenly, Max was alarmed to hear a third voice… "Max, wake up!"

Note from the Author:

*Jack Sparrow voice* Why are the reviews gone?  
Seriously, guys. I love writing this stuff for you all, but I really invite your feedback, so I know if you're enjoying it or not. Please feel free to write reviews on any chapter. I promise I do read them.

Also, we're getting close to 2000 views. I'm not sure what I'll do to mark the occasion this time, but I will think of something. Thank you guys for being so awesome!

-OuTsYdeR


	11. Chapter 11

All in Time

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

Chapter 11  
I'm No Angel (Or, The Thrill of the Chase)

"Max, wake up!"

Max awoke, thankful to be pulled out of the dream, to see a smiling, fully-clothed Victoria standing over her.  
"Huh? Victoria? What's wrong?" She asked, blearily.  
"Nothing's wrong, Max! Something is actually right!" Victoria exclaimed as Max sat up and rubbed her eyes.  
"I just got off the phone with my mom," Victoria continued. "Apparently, she's done being a raging snatch basket, and wants me to come home!"  
"Wow! That's great, Victoria!" Max chirped, happily. Some part of her would actually miss having Victoria around, but she also valued her privacy.

"She also unfroze my credit cards," Victoria went on. "So, I say, if you're up for it, we should have a party tonight!"  
"You're throwing yourself a going-away party?" Max asked, tilting her head in confusion.  
"No, silly! _You're_ throwing me a going-away party. I'm just paying for it." Victoria replied with a laugh. "C'mon, I've got a fake ID and a two-thousand dollar credit limit. Let's get fucked up!"  
"Okay, Victoria." Max said, also laughing now. "But, who is gonna come to this party?"  
"Well, you're the hostess, so obviously you. I am the guest of honor, and… I suppose Warren can come, too." She stood there thinking for a moment, tapping a fingernail to her chin. "Come to think of it, I don't have any other friends left in Arcadia Bay… Anyone else you want to invite?"  
Max shook her head. The only other friend she had who was their age was Kate, and she couldn't imagine her coming to another party that Victoria was attending, after the Vortex Club fiasco.

After Warren had arrived and given the two young women a ride to and from the liquor store, they walked back into the apartment with three different kinds of wine, a fifth of Jack Daniel's, a 2 liter of Coke, and bottle of Jägermeister. All the makings of a good time. Or, at the very least, a time no one would remember.

As Victoria and Warren sat on the couch, arguing over what kind of music to put on, Max quietly slipped into the bedroom. After rummaging through the closet for a few moments, she found her old Polaroid. By the time she returned, the two had stopped arguing and were just sitting there, both looking just thoroughly bummed out. Grinning, Max snapped a picture of the morose looking pair. As she stood there, shaking the instant photo back and forth, she said "Come on, you two. We're supposed to be having fun tonight! Warren, this is Victoria's party. Let her pick the music. I'll go make us some drinks."

As Warren nursed a Jack & Coke, and Victoria finished off her first glass of pink moscato, Max began to realize exactly why Warren had been arguing. Victoria's taste in music was questionable, at best. Still, it _was_ her party, so Max said nothing.

As the evening wore on, Max got several more pictures, including a nice selfie with all three of them in frame. _This is probably the first photograph ever taken of Warren and Victoria together,_ She thought to herself. It was definitely going into her journal, which she promised herself she would start keeping again.

About halfway through his second drink, Warren stood up and declared "Well, sorry, ladies, but I have to get up early in the morning. I should be going home."  
"Oh, Warren. I'm sorry! I didn't know you had an early day tomorrow." Max said, suddenly saddened by the temporary loss of her best guy friend. "Let me walk you out."  
Warren nodded as Max stood up and walked with him to the front door, and out into the hallway.

"I guess, as far as parties go, this was an epic fail, huh?" Max said, more than slightly dejected.  
"Well, it could've done with more people," Warren replied with a chuckle. "But, considering Victoria Chase was involved, it wasn't that bad. I just really do have to be up early."  
"Okay." Max relented, accepting his excuse. "Again, I'm sorry. I hope you don't feel like I forced you to come."  
"No way, Max. You know me, any excuse to come over to your place…"  
Max smiled and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "You sure you're okay to drive?"  
"Yeah. That's why I had so little to drink, and why I drank so slowly. I'll be fine."  
"Okay. You'd better be! I won't stand for losing any more friends this year." She said, sternly.  
"I know, Max." Warren replied in a whisper. "I would never do that to you."

Back inside, Victoria was looking rather bored on the couch, as she finished her third glass of wine. Max picked up Warren's cup and Victoria's glass and headed into the kitchen. Impulsively, she finished the half drink that Warren had left. It tasted pretty good, so she made another Jack & Coke for herself, then poured Victoria another glass of wine.

Handing Victoria her glass, Max took a seat next to her. "I'm sorry it's such a shitty party." She said, sadly. "Here it is barely eleven o'clock, and it's just you and me."  
"It's okay, Max. You tried." Victoria said, with a little smirk. "Besides, I'm used to being abandoned lately."  
"That's not making me feel any better, Victoria." Max said, before taking a big gulp of her drink.  
"Well, it's not like you've abandoned me. I never would've imagined that Max Caulfield would be my only friend in town, the only person I could depend on."  
"Yeah," Max said, with a chuckle. "Who would've thought?"  
"Well, I know one thing that would make this party better." Victoria said.  
"What's that?"  
"Shots!"

After their third (Or was it fourth? Who can keep up, at this point?) round of Jäger shots, the two girls lie on Max's bed, both staring up at the ceiling, thoroughly wasted, talking about life.  
"So, you fell pretty hard for Chloe Price, and then Nathan shot her?" Victoria asked, incredulously.  
"Uh huh." Max Responded. "Life fucking sucks."  
"To be honest, I never really trusted Nathan. He was a little too squirrelly for me."  
"Yeah." Max said, seemingly too drunk to form words of more than two syllables.  
"I kinda remember Chloe," Victoria said. "Totally not my style, but she was cute. So, I know this is probably really uncool to ask, but did you guys… Y'know…?"  
"What?!" Max was completely taken aback by the question, but for some reason felt compelled to answer it. "No…"  
Victoria rolled onto her side, propping herself up on an elbow, facing Max. "Now, that is just fucking sad. You loved her, and she was snuffed out before you even had a chance to…be intimate?"  
Max could only close her eyes and nod. If she weren't drunk, she would probably be crying just thinking about it. If Victoria weren't drunk, she probably wouldn't keep asking these questions, she thought.

"Well, I know you and Warren have done it…" Victoria said, seeming to take great pleasure in Max's shocked expression following her statement. "What? The walls in this place are paper-thin!"  
"Christ…" Max said, releasing a heavy sigh.  
Victoria laughed. "It's alright, Max. But, the question I was setting up is, have you ever even been with a girl?"  
Max shook her head, still not wanting to speak for fear of breaking down into tears.  
Victoria's voice softened to a whisper as she leaned in closer, "We could change that, you know…"

Max lie in a motionless state of shock, like a deer in headlights. The only thing she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding in her chest, and Victoria's breath mere inches away from her ear. She had once described Victoria as "rich and beautiful" in her journal, but she'd never harbored any sexual interest in her, at least not consciously. Still, here was her former arch-enemy, lying next to her, on her bed, apparently wanting to have sex with her. The moment was made even more surreal by the fact that the room was spinning from the alcohol ingested previously in the night.

"W-why?" Max managed to get out. "I mean, why would you want to change that?"  
Victoria shrugged. "Well, you're pretty. I've always thought so. And, even though I was always mean to you, I knew you were a good person. And, what can I say, I'm fucking drunk. Inhibitions are almost non-existent right now."  
 _Okay, good answer, I guess._ Max thought to herself. She gasped as Victoria leaned in closer to kiss her neck.

Already feeling hot from the alcohol, Max now felt as though she might cook from within as she could feel sweat beginning to form on her forehead. Victoria continued to kiss her neck in various spots, sometimes nibbling gently with her teeth. She let out a soft moan as she felt Victoria's teeth on her neck at the same time as her hand slipped under Max's shirt. Feeling the soft skin of that hand gently sliding up over her belly and over her ribs, it occurred to her that she might actually be trying to take her shirt off. Max sat up momentarily to aid in the task, peeling her shirt off with haste and tossing it to the floor beside the bed. Victoria smiled before resuming the neck kisses, though she was now working her way down to Max's collarbone.

Playfully, Victoria hooked a finger beneath Max's left bra strap, pulling it off her shoulder. She then began trailing soft kisses along her collarbone and over the shoulder in question. Max's breathing became heavier, more ragged, as her body shivered. She sat up once again to reach behind her back and unhook her bra, gladly throwing the undergarment to the floor as well. Victoria seemed delighted that her hints were being taken, as her smile grew larger.

Max's small, tight breasts now exposed to her former enemy, she felt as vulnerable as she ever had in her life. Even still, she found it impossible to care, as Victoria's touch was gentle and sensual. It felt wrong, and yet, right, at the same time. Another soft moan escaped her lips as Victoria teased her already hardened left nipple with her tongue, while gently massaging and caressing her right breast with her hand.

The muscles in her entire body tightened as Victoria finally took her entire nipple into her mouth and began to suck gently. At the same time, the hand that had been massaging Max's other breast was now gliding its way downward, slipping beneath the waist of her pants.

It was Victoria's turn to moan audibly, as her fingers began to explore the rift between Max's thighs and found that she was dripping wet. Max couldn't help but flinch at her touch. She hadn't even been aware that she was so aroused, until now. Taking this as another hint, she raised her hips and began to slide of her jeans and soaked panties, all in one go. Lying flat once more, she opened her legs slightly, inviting further exploration.

"Oh, god…" Max panted, as Victoria's middle finger parted the wet lips of her sex and slid effortlessly inside of her. After enduring several long moments of teasing torture, Max finally spoke in between ragged breaths, "Victoria… I want to see you." The other girl seemed to get her meaning, as she withdrew, a broad grin upon her face as she began removing her fancy designer clothes, piece by piece.

Max got up onto her knees. Her hands reached for Victoria's body excitedly, as her eyes feasted upon every curve. The style of clothing Victoria favored left much to the imagination, with the possible exception of her ass and legs, but, beneath all those sweaters was a curvaceous wonder of a body. Max was amazed at just how soft her skin was. Placing her hands on Victoria's hips, she gently slid them down over her thighs, then back up, over her ribs, and to her chest. Victoria's breasts, though not the most ample she had seen, were certainly larger than her own. She thought they looked, and felt, perfect, for lack of a better word. Soft, but firm, and heavy in her hands.

"Lie back down," Victoria whispered. "I want to know if you taste as sweet as your personality."  
After giving Victoria's breasts one last gentle squeeze, she did as instructed and lie back down, flat on her back. Victoria climbed on top of her, placing a knee on either side of Max's body, straddling her midsection. Max could feel her arousal, hot and moist against her flat belly. Victoria leaned down and kissed her hungrily, her tongue delicately parting Max's lips to dance with her own. As she broke the kiss, she trapped Max's lower lip between her teeth, giving it a gentle tug before finally releasing.

Max groaned loudly as Victoria continued to tease her into a frenzy by trailing soft kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, then her sternum. Her hands grabbed at Max's breasts lustily, as she slowly crawled backward on the bed, still trailing kisses down her stomach. Max instinctively spread her legs wide to make room for Victoria's body to crawl between them. The kisses didn't slow when she reached the patch of neatly trimmed pubic hair, and a fast-moving wave of heat rushed over Max as she felt Victoria's soft lips on her fully aroused clit.

Both women moaned audibly as Victoria's tongue, starting at the bottom and working its way up, parted Max's soft, wet labia, collecting more than enough of her sweet nectar to get a good taste. Victoria seemed pleased, as she took a moment to savor the flavor of her. Max gasped loudly and grabbed fistfuls of bed sheet as Victoria went in for another taste, this time plunging her tongue deep inside of her.

Apparently, she was beginning to feel guilty for teasing so much, as she finally began to focus her efforts on Max's no doubt throbbing clit. Within seconds, Max was moaning loudly. Victoria had to grab onto her hips to stop them from bucking so wildly.

Max closed her eyes tightly, and allowed herself to imagine that it was Chloe's face between her thighs, rather than Victoria's. The short, dirty blonde hair upon her lover's head was replaced with shaggy blue locks in her mind's eye. Her hands released the bedsheets and reached down, her fingers running through that blue hair as she gently pulled her lover's head toward her body, encouraging more of what she was giving her.

She had to stop herself from screaming Chloe's name as the first wave of her climax hit her. Snapping out of her fantasy, she came to the realization that Victoria really knew what she was doing. Obviously, she'd had much more experience with women than Max had. All that slow build up, all the teasing, had led to, literally, the best orgasm she'd ever had. And, little did she know, the best was yet to come. For, even though the shockwaves of her first orgasm began to subside, a new set, even more powerful than the first, began to wash over her body. She screamed out loud, her fists clenched tightly, pulling Victoria's hair, without regard for the possible pain it might cause. Her back arched as every muscle in her body tensed. And, then, just when she thought it was over, another wave of exquisite pleasure racked her body.

After her third orgasm, Max had to force Victoria to stop by pushing her head away from her. Her clit was now so sensitive that even the gentle lapping of Victoria's tongue became painful agony. If she hadn't already been lying down, she was sure that she would collapse. She felt more relaxed right now than she did after taking her Xanax.

"Get up here." She croaked, her voice shattered from screaming. As Victoria crawled back up to her, Max slipped her arms around her waist, pulling her naked body tight against her own, as she kissed her deeply. Still locked in the passionate kiss, Max's hands began to explore Victoria's body. Gently caressing the curve of her hips, then moving toward her back, she both heard and felt Victoria moan into the kiss as Max's hands found and squeezed her perfectly round ass.

Breaking the kiss, Max pushed Victoria's shoulder away to make her lie flat. Her eyes shown a burning desire. There would be no teasing, no trailing of soft kisses. She was eager to repay the pleasure that was given to her. Maybe it was partially due to the alcohol, but she felt differently than she could ever remember. She felt like a wild animal with its prey backed into a corner. She pounced upon Victoria's beautiful body and immediately took her left nipple into her mouth, sucking hard and nibbling softly.

Victoria had started to chuckle at Max's enthusiasm, but her laughter quickly turned into "Oh…OH!" as her left breast was attacked in the best way possible. A groan of half pain, half pleasure escaped her lips as Max pawed at her other breast with her hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

Max's then began using both her hands to explore seemingly every inch of Victoria's soft skin, ranging fearlessly over her shoulders, down her arms, then back over her breasts and her soft belly, then down her legs. Growing impatient with herself, Max anxiously followed the same path that Victoria had taken down her body, only, instead of trailing tender kisses, she worked her way down with licks and occasional sharp bites.

Nearing her destination, she was relatively unsurprised to find that Victoria was cleanly shaven "down there". It just fit with her neat, pristine image. It also explained why she always took so long in the shower. Once again dispensing with any form of teasing, she jumped right in, her tongue delving deep into Victoria's hot, wet sex. She tasted even better than Max had imagined. Victoria gave a squeal of encouragement as her legs opened wider. Gently parting Victoria's delicate pink folds with her fingers, she continued to focus her efforts on drinking as much of her deliciousness in as possible. Only when she heard a groan of frustration emit from her partner did she begin to focus on Victoria's swollen pearl. Like Max before her, Victoria had been so turned on that it only took a matter of minutes to reach her peak of pleasure. Her screams of ecstasy and the arching of her back encouraged Max to keep going, to work harder.

Increasing the tempo of her tongue's dance, a near growl of a moan rose from her throat as Victoria fell into her second orgasm. Max could barely hear her scream with Victoria's thighs clamped over her ears, as her third and fourth swells of pleasure came in rapid succession. Her tongue once again parted Victoria's soft folds, cleaning up all of the sweet juices that she could. The taste was just a little sweeter than before, the consistency just a bit creamier. After wiping off her mouth and chin with the back of her hand, she crawled back up to Victoria's eye level, swelling with pride at the ability to make her partner cum so many times.

Lying close to each other, both completely spent, though their hands continued to caress each other's bodies, they both spoke in unison; "I need a cigarette!"

They both lie on the bed, completely nude, each smoking their own cigarette, sharing the ash tray that lie on the bed between them. Neither woman spoke, but conversation was not really needed. They had just shared what Max thought was a beautiful physical connection, made even more special by the fact that they used to be bitter rivals.

After they had finished their smokes and stamped out the butts, Max moved the ash tray back to the night stand and scooted herself closer to Victoria. She loved the feel of the other girl's soft skin against her own. Resting a hand on Victoria's belly, she finally spoke; "I think you should sleep in here tonight. No couch for you."  
"Thanks, Max," Victoria laughed loudly. "If I'd known it would get me off that lumpy couch, I would've tried to fuck you the first night."

Max smiled as she watched Victoria drift off to sleep. She tried not to let herself get emotional, knowing that there was a decent chance that she would never see Victoria again after tonight. Still, she wanted to remember the evening as clearly as possible, for as long as she could. As she began to doze off, herself, she became vaguely aware that she had neglected to take any of her meds. She felt so relaxed that she probably didn't need a Xanax, but missing her Lexapro, she thought, might have consequences. But, at this point, she decided, she was too tired to get back up and take one.

Max found herself on a busy interstate highway. She was sitting in the passenger seat of Chloe's truck. Looking to her left, she saw her blue-haired love, looking as pissed off as she'd ever seen her. Her cheeks burned bright red, not with embarrassment, but with pure rage. The haze that had appeared in most of her dreams, except the last one when she had fallen asleep accidentally, was not present in this one, either.

The anger on Chloe's face made Max afraid to speak. Unfortunately, Chloe decided to break the silence herself, after several moments of simmering. "How could you, Max? Victoria? Really?!"  
"Oh, god, Chloe… I'm so sorry. It just happened! I never would've touched her if you were still alive."  
"Uh huh… And whose fault is it that I'm fucking dead, Max?" Her rage seemed to increase, despite the fact that she was no longer raising her voice.  
"I'm sorry, Chloe…" Tears began to roll down Max's cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "I wanted it to be you… So badly…"  
"Riiiight. That's why you kept looking at her body like a hungry dog, right? You do realize that she and I look nothing alike, right?"

Seeing that sincere apologies were getting her nowhere, Max decided to try logical reasoning instead. "Chloe, I love you. With all my heart! But, you've been gone for so long… You said you'd loved me since we were kids, but you still had a thing with Rachel after I left."

"That's different, Max!" She spat. "You had a fucking choice! You chose not to contact me for five fucking years! I've been dead for nine months, and I still keep in touch, even if it's just in your dreams!"  
Max began to sob even harder, feeling the crushing weight of guilt upon her chest.  
"Y'know what? Fuck it!" Chloe said, as she floored the accelerator. Looking over, Max saw that they were now travelling well over one hundred miles per hour. Suddenly, Chloe yanked the steering wheel to the right, veering right toward the concrete column of an overpass.  
"Chloe, no!"

Max awoke with a gasp and sat bolt upright. Sweat was pouring out of her. Looking toward the window, she judged that it was early afternoon by the way the sun backlit the blinds. Turning the opposite direction, she found her camera, resting atop a piece of paper, where Victoria should have been. Moving the camera, she found a note that read; "Off to the airport. I'll send you a post car from Seattle. Let me know if you ever get back there. Also, I left you a little something to remember me by. ;) XOXO"

 _She would write 'XOXO'…_ Max thought, wryly. Beneath the piece of paper was a picture from her instant camera, lying face down. Max picked it up and flipped it over. Her jaw dropped in disbelief.

Note from the Author:

Well, we've done it! Over 2,000 views! Unfortunately, the only gift I could think of to give you guys was an explicit version of the Max/Victoria scene. I feel kinda bad to be all like "Thanks for helping me reach this milestone, here's some porn.", but I am just a simple writer with not much else to give.

I always swore I would never let my story become stereotypical smut fanfiction, but I felt somehow compelled to write out this scene. Maybe it's just because I find Victoria incredibly sexy, I dunno. But, at any rate, I hope you guys enjoy this shit, and hope that FF doesn't make me take it down, as explicit content is technically not allowed. Though, I've heard there is much worse on here. lol

Let me know what you guys think!


	12. Chapter 12

All in Time

A Life is Strange Story by OuTsYdeR

Chapter 12  
Hungover

Max carefully studied the photograph, probably a little more closely than she should. It was truly a beautiful shot: Victoria, winking, her short, dirty-blonde hair still messy from a night of sex and sleep. One arm outstretched, holding the camera, the other crossed beneath her exposed breasts, giving them a push-up effect. At the bottom of the photo, on the wide white border was written, "Since you seemed to like them so much…"

Letting you a heavy sigh, she finally put the picture down. _Well, at least she didn't leave a twenty on_ _top of my dresser_ _, or something_ _,_ Max thought to herself. She wished she hadn't slept so heavily, so she could have at least said goodbye. She realized that it might have been awkward, but she wouldn't have minded getting away from that dream a little earlier, as well. The thought occurred to her that Victoria might have slipped out while she was still sleeping in order to avoid any awkwardness. Though, she imagined that it would have been mostly one-sided.

As the silence of her apartment began to envelop her, Max suddenly felt so alone. Of course, that heart-wrenching dream hadn't helped. Giving up on the day, she lie back down and inhaled deeply from the pillow that Victoria had slept on. A small smile crept across her lips as it still had the other girl's smell on it. It was so strange to her that she'd developed an emotional connection with someone she used to hate, especially in such a short time. But, there it was…

Rolling over, she picked up her phone and began to write a text to Victoria. "Hey, Vic. Thank you for an amazing night! I'm sorry I missed you this morning." Thinking better of it, she held the backspace key, erasing the message rather than sending it. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ She thought. _The only person I can make a connection with is someone who doesn't even care enough to wake me up to say goodbye?_ She sniffled as tears began to run from her eyes and down her cheeks.

Feeling herself sink into a deep depression, she suddenly remembered that she had neglected to take her antidepressant the night before. Opening and reaching into her nightstand drawer, she retrieved both her Lexapro and her Xanax. Swallowing a double dose of the former, she chased it with a single dose of the anti-anxiety medication. Within minutes, she felt at ease, relaxed, but still sad. She wanted so badly to not be alone right now. The emptiness and silence in her apartment was so crushing that she couldn't bear the thought of getting out of bed, let alone going outside.

It was in this moment that she realized that her feelings toward Victoria were not real. Yes, she thought Victoria was beautiful, and sex with her had been dynamite. But, Max realized now that her brain had deceived her heart. It was simply using Victoria as a substitute for the woman she truly loved. _Oh, Chloe. I'm so sorry,_ Max lamented internally. _I would give anything for that to have been you last night, for you to be here with me today!_ _Whoever said 'it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all' was a complete fuckwit. If I had a dime for every time I've wanted to die since losing you...well, I'd have a shitload of dimes..._

Pulling a cigarette from the pack atop the nightstand, she lit it, inhaled deeply, and flicked the ashes into the ashtray. _There has to be more to life than this,_ she thought, as she took another drag. _Why can't I be one of those people who gets over things quickly and moves on? Hell, I'd even settle for being able to block it out._ She took another long pull from her cigarette as she contemplated suicide for about the fourth time since allowing Chloe to be murdered. With tears filling her eyes once more, she picked up her phone and began writing another text message; "Hey, Kate. Are you busy?" This time, she confidently tapped 'Send'.

"Max! Not busy at all. It's good to hear from you again! We've missed you at church." Kate replied, after a few moments.  
"Yeah, sorry about that… Do you wanna hang out today?"  
"Sure. When and where?"  
"Um, how soon can you be at the Two Whales? I'm sorry for such short notice, I just… Need someone to talk to."  
"I understand, Max. I can be there in 30."  
"Awesome! Thanks Kate! See you in 30."

Max stood outside of the Two Whales diner, finishing her cigarette before walking in. It felt weird to be walking into the front door rather than the back. Hell, it felt weird coming here on her day off, period. Waving to her coworkers as she walked back to her favorite corner booth, she decided to do one of the few things that never failed to bring her joy. Sliding two quarters into the jukebox, she selected "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. She grinned widely as the song started, accompanied by the collective groan of the entire staff, as well as some of the patrons.

Max waved to Kate as she entered the diner. Kate smiled warmly and came over to join her at the booth. She was dressed in typical Kate fashion; black cardigan atop a white blouse, black skirt, cross around her neck, and her hair was in her trademark "megabun".

"Hey, Kate. Thanks for meeting me on such short notice."  
"No problem, Max. Are you okay? You seem a little down, today."  
"I am. I...I'm just...I couldn't stand to be alone anymore, today." Max said, struggling to find the right words.  
"Well, here I am." Kate said with a smile. "You don't have to be alone any more, for the rest of the day."  
Max returned the smile. "Thank you, Kate. It really means a lot to me."

Just then, the conversation was interrupted by the waitress. Max recognized her as Melissa, but didn't really know her that well, as they worked opposite shifts. After Max had ordered a cup of coffee and Kate a glass of iced tea, the conversation resumed.  
"You were there for me when I needed a friend the most, Max." Kate continued. "I'm happy to return the favor."  
"You already returned the favor by being there for me at Chloe's funeral, and afterward." Max said, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I'm starting to think I should nominate you for sainthood."

"Oh, come on, Max." Kate chuckled. "It's what friends are for. Honestly, I was happy to hear from you today. It's been too long."  
"Yeah, it really has." Max managed to get out before Melissa returned with their drinks. "I guess I needed to talk to someone who has dealt with depression before. Do you mind if I ask you some questions, about the video incident? I know it may be a touchy subject, so I understand if you don't wanna talk about it."  
"No, it's fine, Max. Nathan is locked up for what he did to me, that Rachel Amber girl, and your friend Chloe. And, I've had my fair share of therapy and praying over it. I think I can handle whatever questions you throw at me." Kate said, giving Max a reassuring smile.

Max already knew the answer to the question she was about to ask, but, Kate didn't know that she knew. "I remember you feeling really down about it, when the video got out... Did you ever... Um, did you ever think about..."  
"Killing myself?" Kate interrupted.  
"Well, yeah..." Max replied, staring down at her coffee cup.

"Oh, Max..." Kate suddenly scooped up both of Max's hands into her own. "Please tell me you're not thinking of suicide."  
"I mean, I don't think I could actually go through with it." A deep frown crossed her lips as she continued. "It's just that, sometimes I feel like the world would be a better place without me."

"Oh, Max..." Kate gave her friend's hands a gentle squeeze. "You may not realize it, but you have touched more lives than you know. I'm willing to bet that most of them are better for it." She released a heavy sigh before continuing. "But, to answer your question, yes, I thought about it. But, just when I was at my lowest, Nathan got caught after..." She paused a short moment, choosing her words carefully. "After your friend passed... And, he confessed to drugging me. Nobody made fun of me after that. Even Victoria apologized to me. And, I hear you had a hand in Nathan getting caught, so you certainly touched my life in the best way possible." Kate said, giving another of her reassuring smiles.

"Thanks, Kate." Max replied, again staring into her coffee cup. "I really appreciate that." The sentiment was genuine, and she was glad to have been able to help Kate in her time of need. Still, it wasn't enough to make her feel better about herself in the here and now.  
"Max, I know it hurts. Believe me, I do. But, trust me, ending your life should never be considered a viable option. I can't believe that I ever even considered it."

"I know," Max said, taking a sip of her now cold coffee. "I just can't seem to shake off these thoughts today." She looked up at her friend and smiled. "I'm glad you're with me, though. I don't know what I'd do if I'd had to stay home by myself all day."  
"Well, I'm happy to help." Kate said with another warm smile.

The two continued to talk for a long while, catching up on the events of each other's lives over the past few months. As the sun began to set, they started to say their goodbyes. "Are you sure you're okay to go home alone?" Kate asked. "If you feel like harming yourself, you shouldn't be alone. I could stay with you, or you could spend the night with me." She offered.  
"I'll be fine, Kate. I feel a lot better, now," Max lied. "Thank you so much for spending the day with me, though. I really needed it."

With darkness rapidly approaching, Max decided to take the long way home, bypassing the alleyway where the man who had attacked her last week liked to hang out. Her arm had just healed enough to go without a bandage on it, and she didn't want to risk using her rewind power again.

Arriving home, she dropped her messenger bag to the floor in front of the door, as usual, and closed and locked the door behind her. Her first stop was the bathroom, as the coffee she'd drank with Kate was moving through her at a breakneck pace. After using the loo and wiping, she discovered that she had started her period. _Great… This day just keeps getting better,_ She thought. Although, she was extremely grateful that her cycle hadn't started the night before, lest it ruin the wonderful time she'd had with Victoria. Suddenly, last night seemed like ages ago.

After taking a hot shower and arming herself with a tampon, Max put on her nightclothes and made her way to the bed. Sitting on the edge, she opened her nightstand drawer and looked down at the three pill bottles within. For a fleeting moment, she wondered how many Ambien she'd have to take in order to never wake up. "Stop it, Max!" She said out loud. Not giving in to the darker side of her subconscious, she pulled out her Xanax and Ambien, and took one of each pill.

Sliding her body between the sheets and laying her head on the pillows, she could still catch the slightest whiff of Victoria's scent on the pillow next to hers. Allowing herself to enjoy the smell one last time, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Max found herself in the familiar setting of Chloe's room once again. Chloe herself lie on her bed, smoking a joint, looking about as chill as Max had ever seen her. The hazy fog had returned, and was mixing with the tendrils of smoke coming off the joint, and the smoke that Chloe exhaled with each hit.

"Chloe?" Max said, tentatively. She seemed more afraid than ever of angering her blue-haired love, after she'd tried to kill Max in her last dream.  
"That's my name, don't wear it out." Chloe responded, sarcastically, but playfully.  
"You're not still pissed at me, about Victoria?"  
"Nah, man. That fucking pharmacy you keep in your drawer kinda prevents me from being pissed at you."  
"What?" Max asked, a puzzled expression on her face. She was completely unaware that she was dreaming, despite Chloe's fourth-wall break.  
"Nothing…" Chloe said, rolling her eyes as she took another hit off the joint. "The point is, I'm not pissed at you. I can't even blame you. Vic's pretty hot, if you're into that type."  
Max could only stare at her blankly.

"I mean, what's not to like?" Chloe continued. "Resting bitch face, hot, boyish haircut, nice tits, nice ass, nice legs…"  
"Stop it, Chloe!"  
"What? Just calling it like I see it."  
"Okay, so, yes, she's hot… But, I would've rather been with you." Max said, defiantly.  
"Oh yeah?" Chloe said, turning her head toward Max with a grin. "Then, we're good."  
"Seriously?"  
"Yeah, totally cereal."  
Max couldn't help but laugh at the reference.

Chloe put out the joint and set the ashtray down on the floor next to the bed. "So, get your bony white ass over here and cuddle with me!"  
"Okay!" Max exclaimed with a broad grin. She laid herself down on the bed, scooting her body as close to Chloe's as possible. Resting her head on Chloe's breast, she wrapped an arm around her waist.  
"Max?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm really glad you didn't kill yourself."  
"Me too, Chloe…" Max said, as she scooted herself even closer.

Yet another note from the author:

First of all, I'm sorry.  
I know this was kind of a weird chapter, and maybe a difficult one to read. But, please know that I channeled a lot of what I was feeling at the time into this work, and please don't judge it too harshly. In many ways, this chapter is a microcosm of the story as a whole, but maybe slightly more boring.  
And, on the bright side, it has a happy ending. And, an ending that isn't a cliffhanger. :)


	13. Message to Readers

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

Hi, guys! I just wanted to write a quick note to say I'm sorry for the lack of updates lately.

I took a couple weeks off to work on another project, and now I'm finding it difficult to get my head back into All in Time.

That said, I hope to have a new chapter for you guys out next weekend.

Hope everyone is doing well during this little hiatus of mine.

Keep being awesome, and I'll drop a new chapter for you as soon as I can. :)

-OuTsYdeR


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